If Only
by Katherine Cruz
Summary: Sonny/Carly centered, Jason/Liz, some slash: Francis/Adam. First story I ever wrote. Started in 2001. Just uploading here. What if when Carly was mugged in Oct. 99, it was Sonny who found here...AU. Various other characters.
1. Chapter 1

**If Only…**

_Chapter 1_

"I told you not to contact me in public"

Carly halted in her tracks, hearing Hannah's panic-stricken voice. She quickly hid in the shadows, keeping her eyes on the other woman. She couldn't make out whom her partner was but she would bet it was the infamous Professor Bradburn.

"Let's talk somewhere else"

Carly watched as Hannah was pulled away towards the docks. Hannah looked behind her quickly making sure no one saw her. Carly ducked deeper into the shadows a muttered curse escaping her lips. She hoped to God Hannah hadn't seen her. She waited until their footsteps were faint before making her way out of hiding. She contemplated calling Jason in on this but knew that would only make her lose valuable time.

_Screw it_.

Carly made her way in the direction that Hannah and her "friend" had gone.

* * *

Johnny heard the ding of the elevator and the sound of Jason laughing. _Jason laughing?_ He stuck his head around the corner in time to catch Jason leading Elizabeth into his penthouse. _Well I'll be damned…_ He shook his head at Jason's stupidity. The guy had someone like Carly all over him willing to do whatever was necessary for him and he chose to be with girls.

Maybe it was for the best. Johnny always thought Carly was too much woman for Jason. She needed someone she couldn't walk all over. Someone who wouldn't take her shit and vice versa. The door opened behind him and Sonny stuck his head out. "Johnny?"

_Wonder where she could find that?_ Johnny rolled his eyes at the irony of it all before turning to look at his Boss. "Sir?"

"Was that Jason that came in?"

Johnny nodded, "Yes, sir, but he's not alone." He added quickly when Sonny started to walk to Jason's penthouse. Sonny looked at him his eyebrow raised in a question. "Carly?"

"No, sir. Ms. Webber."

Sonny hid his surprise at that little fact. Jason was seeing someone behind Carly's back. She wasn't going to be happy about that. His cell phone rang and he ran into the penthouse to answer it. "Hello?"

Silence.

"Hello?" he repeated a little louder. "Is someone there?" He started to hang up when he heard a strangled voice.

"Sonny?"

"Carly?" He was almost sure that was her voice but it had been too low. "Carly?" Why the hell was she calling him? "Carly?"

"Sonny - I need - Help me, please."

A feeling close to panic started forming in his gut and he ran to the door, flinging it open and motioning to a surprised Johnny. "Get the car." He walked back to his desk and pulled out the handgun in his drawer. He wasn't sure what was going on but he knew Carly would never call him unless there was some serious danger. "Carly?" He could hear her soft sobbing on the other end. "Listen to me, okay? You need to tell me where you are?"

"I - I don't know. I'm in an alley - I -I was trying to - and then they- h-hit -I don't know."

Sonny ran out the into the hall toward Jason's door but stopped seeing the elevator open and Johnny step out. He pushed the bodyguard back into the elevator, following him. He'd call Jason later. "Carly? Tell me where you are?" He saw Johnny's shocked expression before stepping off the elevator into the underground garage.

"I followed - I - I'm in an alley off of Van Buren, I think. Please hur…"

Sonny cursed when the call was cut off. "Van Buren. Now!"

Sonny looked out the window trying his best not to panic. This was Carly for Christ's sake. Knowing her this was probably one of her crazy plans. She probably thought he'd tell Jason and he would come rescue her, that was all. He shook his head reassuring himself that she was fine. He'd find her there waiting for Jason. When he showed up they'd fight and he'd send her home. He jerked back when the car stopped suddenly. He opened his door and motioned for Johnny to back him up.

Sonny pulled out his gun, testing the weight in his hand. He moved silently down the alleyway. He could hear Johnny moving around behind him. He looked around the corner seeing that the alley went in two directions. One path lead to another dark alley with no apparent end and the other was a dead end. He could barely make anything out in the dark but he saw the shape of what looked like a payphone. She most of called him for there.

Sonny motioned to Johnny to check out the other alley as he made his way to the payphone. He could see something a few feet from the phone. He blinked his eyes trying to adjust to the dark. He held his gun tightly in his hand looking around him slowly. He stopped in his tracks, his heart leaping to his throat when his eyes focused on a foot.

A foot encased in a red stiletto.

"Jesus." Sonny stored his gun away and ran to kneel down next to Carly's prone body. "Johnny! Over here!" He screamed behind him as he turned Carly over to get a better look at her. He pushed her blond hair off her face and went cold at her bloodied and mangled face. Her eyes were swollen shut and the bruises on her face were turning black and blue. His eyes followed the marks on her face down to her neck. He noticed her exposed bra and covered her with her ripped blouse.

Johnny knelt down next to him, his eyes going cold at seeing Carly. "Oh man." He tired to help but Sonny jerked him away, holding on to Carly. "Get the car started. We're going to the hospital."

"No- no hospital."

They looked down in at Carly. She opened her eyes slightly, focusing them on Sonny. He had come. She knew he would come and help her. "Please, Sonny." She whimpered, her eyes pleading with his. Sonny nodded in agreement and picked her up. She started to protest but the pain stopped her and all that came out was a groan. She felt Sonny stiffen under her and she turned her face into his shoulder. Sonny walked down the alley to the car. Johnny ran ahead and opened the car door, helping Sonny with Carly.

"Take us back the penthouse, Johnny."

Sonny stepped into the limo, looking over at Carly who stared down at her lap. He watched her fiddle with her fingers. He noticed her ripped up nails and the scratches on her hands. He closed his eyes against the sudden rage he felt. He wanted to know who did that to her but he knew she was too fragile right now. "Carly?" he said her name softly.

Carly had held herself together not allowing any of her fear or pain to show. She just wanted to hide away and the best way she knew how was to stop feeling. She wanted to be numb. But then she heard Sonny's voice say her name so gently and she felt the barriers break and the tears begin to fall.

Sonny watched her shaking shoulders and heard her heaving sobs. They tore at his heart and he moved closer to her. He pulled her into his arms on reflex and smoothed her hair back from her face, "It's alright, honey." Her crying became louder and she started shaking uncontrollably. He pulled her into his lap, one hand at the small of her back, the other still stroking her hair. Her sobs turned into small hiccupping noises and the shaking subsided but they stayed that way until they reached Harborview Towers.

When the car stopped, Carly turned her face up to Sonny, and he gently wiped the moisture from her eyes. She looked away quickly but stayed on his lap. He stared down at the top of her head.

"I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about." Sonny replied, gently setting her down from his lap. He clasped her hand in his and met her eyes. "Let's get you cleaned up."


	2. Chapter 2

**If Only...**

_Chapter 2_

Harborview Towers

Sonny watched Carly from the corner of his eye. She stood stiffly on the other side of the elevator watching the numbers go up. She glanced at him briefly, flashing him a quick smile before turning to stare blankly at the numbers again. Sonny frowned, every instinct telling him to ignore her pleas and take her to the hospital.

_"No- no hospital."_

He remembered the fear in her voice and the memory of it brought a cold fist to his heart. Whoever had done this was going to pay. He'd make sure of that. The ding of the elevator brought his attention back to Carly. She walked out of the cab toward his penthouse. He noticed she avoided glancing at Jason's door.

Moving quickly, he brushed past her and opened his door, stepping back to let her in. She met his eyes for a second and that familiar rush of electricity passed between them. Averting her eyes, Carly entered the penthouse, taking a deep breath. /_Home./ _She closed her eyes against the tears that threatened to fall. She hated this. She hated being weak. Carly brushed the tears away from her face, crossing her arms.

Sonny observed her from his post at the desk. He knew she was fighting some inner demons only she knew about. He realized she was trying to be strong. Without thinking, he moved to her, his hands falling on her shoulders. "Carly?"

Carly flinched instinctively at his caress before her mind registered it was Sonny. He might hate her but he'd never hurt her. "I'm okay, Sonny." She moved to the couch, feeling warmth where his hands had been. "I'm okay." She sat on down putting her hands to her face. She needed time. Time to get herself together. Time to forget. "Sonny, can I ask a favor?"

"Anything."

Carly's head came up to meet his eyes. "Can I please stay here for a little while?" Sonny nodded, coming to sit next to her on the couch. "As long as you need." He was close enough to see the tears. With shaking hands he took her battered face in his, wiping at her eyes. "Is there anything I can do?" Carly shook her head, moving to the phone. "Is there a phone I can use?"

"The one on the desk. I'll go make you some tea." He headed to the kitchen as she picked up the phone. He went to work on the tea, keeping his thoughts away from the woman in his living room. He picked up the tray he's set everything on and walked back into the living room. He felt a moment of panic when he didn't see her. Setting the tray down, he went up the stairs, thinking it was the only place she could have gone. _Unless she took off._ He shook his head at the thought. She wouldn't have gone anywhere. "Carly?"

He heard a noise coming from the guest room and followed it, seeing her silhouette in the dark room. She was lying on the bed, curled up into a tight ball. He saw the heaving movements of her back and knew the wall she'd managed to build was falling. He stood frozen to the spot.

_**What on earth is going on in my heart?**_

_**Has it turned as cold as stone?**_

_**Seems these days I don't feel anything**_

_**Less it cuts me right down to the bone**_

_**What on earth is going on in my heart?**_

Sonny watched the woman he loathed crumble before him and he felt something inside him give way. Why had this happened to Carly? She was strong, beautiful, and brave. He knew that even if he'd never admit it. She was a liar but she'd die for someone she loved. She drove him nuts with her plans but she was the reason he'd kept his sanity one horrible night. He hated that she'd seen him at his weakest. He hated the way his heart raced when she walked into a room. He hated the way she looked at Jason. He realized she made him think too much. Feel too much. He hated that the most.

_**My oh my you know it just don't stop**_

_**It's in my mind I wanna tear it up**_

_**I've tried to fight it tried to turn it off**_

_**But it's not enough**_

_**It takes a lotta love**_

_**It takes a lotta love my friend**_

_**To keep your heart from freezing**_

_**To push on till the end**_

_**My oh my**_

Carly could feel Sonny presence behind her and she tried to stop the tears but they only came harder. She didn't care. She felt the numbness take over and let it wash over her. Nothing was all she wanted to feel. She heard a footstep and was reminded of Sonny. She couldn't feel numb with him around. He drove her mind to distraction. He saw right through her, making her feel like a child. Her senses went into overdrive when he was around. She felt her heart pound as he stepped closer.

_**What on earth is going on in my head?**_

_**You know I used to be so sure**_

_**You know I used to be so definite**_

_**Thought I knew what love was for**_

_**I look around these days and I'm not so sure**_

"Carly?" Sonny voice caught on her name. He knew she heard him when he saw the tension in her body. "Carly. Can I do anything for you?" Carly shook her head and he started to back away. "Okay." He reached the door and stopped, something inside him pushing him to stay. Glancing over his shoulder, he caught her reflection in the mirror across the room. Pain and fear in her beautiful brown eyes. She looked up and their eyes caught. Neither knowing nor caring why he felt this way Sonny moved towards the bed.

_**My oh my you know it just don't stop**_

_**It's in my mind I wanna tear it up**_

_**I've tried to fight it tried to turn it off**_

_**But it's not enough**_

_**It takes a lotta love**_

_**It takes a lotta love my friend**_

_**To keep your heart from freezing**_

_**To push on till the end**_

Carly's breath caught in her throat when Sonny made his way to her side. He sat on the edge of the bed, tugging at her arm. Carly let him pull her up on the bed. They sat facing each other, his hand coming to trace the bruises on face. Memories of his mother rushed into his head and he felt that same impotent rage now that he did then. He couldn't do anything to make it go away. Taking a few strands of her hair in his fingers, he let it sift through them slowly. "I'm sorry."

_**My oh my you know I just can't win**_

_**I burn it down it comes right back again**_

_**What kinda world is this we're living in?**_

_**where you never win**_

_**It takes a lotta love**_

_**It takes a lotta love these days**_

_**To keep your heart from freezing**_

_**To keep your spirit free**_

Carly looked at him in surprise not sure what he was talking about. "For what?"

"For not being able to help."

She shook her head, the hair falling over her face. "No. Sonny this isn't your fault. It's my own." She looked up at him and reached out to touch his face. Memories of the night of his breakdown came back and he felt that same pull to her now he had then. He began to move closer, his eyes falling to her lips. Carly leaned in, the strange craving that he always ignited taking over.

"Sonny?" Hannah voice rang through the penthouse, followed by the slamming of the door. Carly pulled back the fear of being seen shone clearly in her eyes. Sonny covered her hand with his. "Don't worry. I'll take care of Hannah." He stood up, walking quickly to the door.

"Sonny?"

He stopped, looking at her over his shoulder. Carly smiled at him before looking down at her hands, playing with her nails. "Thanks."

_**My oh my you know it just don't stop**_

_**It's in my mind I wanna tear it up**_

_**I've tried to fight it tried to turn it off**_

_**But it's not enough**_

_**It takes a lotta love**_

_**It takes a lotta love my friend**_

_**To keep your heart from freezing**_

_**To push on till the end**_

Carly stood up from the bed, her eyes meeting Sonny's as she walked over to him. Leaning in, she kissed his cheek softly, a spark running through air between them. "I really mean it. Thank you." Sonny stared at her, his eyes dark and intense. Carly looked away from them. "You should go down before she finds us here."

Nodding, Sonny walked out closing the door behind him. He stood in the hallway collecting his thoughts. He glanced back at the door before heading downstairs. Carly moved against the door, sliding down slowly. Knowing he wouldn't be coming back for some time, she put her hands to her face and let the tears fall.

_**My oh my it just don't stop**_

_**My oh my it just don't stop**_

_**My oh my it just don't stop**_

Lyrics: "My oh my" by David Gray


	3. Chapter 3

**If Only...**

_Chapter 3_

Hannah dropped her bag and coat on the couch. "Sonny?" She called up the stairs when she saw his coat on the back of his chair. She noticed the tray with tea sitting on the table and frowned. Sonny never drank tea.

She moved to the stairs when Sonny appeared at the top. "It's late, Hannah."

"Well, since when do I need an appointment?" Hannah teased, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

Sonny descended the stairs, grabbing a hold of her arm and guiding her back down. "Hannah, it's not a good time, right now."

"Why?" She moved to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I think it's the perfect time." She brought her lips to her but Sonny moved away.

"Because it's not. There's been a problem and I need to take care of it." He moved to the couch picking up her coat and bag. He handed them to her absently, shuffling her toward the door. "I'll come by in the morning."

Hannah dug in her heels, noticing the red jacket lying under Sonny's. She tugged her arms out of his grip and ran to it. Turning to him, she held the jacket in her hand. "Who's is this?"

Sonny face remained motionless. Hannah looked at him, then the coat and the tea that sat on the table. She knew she'd seem this jacket before but… Hannah's eyes widened in shock. "What the hell is Carly doing here?" She dropped the leather on the floor, making her way to the stairs. "Carly! Come on out, I know you're here."

"Hannah…"

"What?"

"Calm down. Lower your voice. Carly doesn't need this right now."

Hannah stared at Sonny, judging how serious he was. "You've got to be kidding me? Since when do you care what happens to Carly?" Hannah watched as Sonny walked around her. "What's going on?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah. Really." Sonny was becoming angry. He just wanted to get rid of Hannah and make sure Carly was comfortable. "Hannah, please, trust me."

"Oh, I do trust you. I don't trust her. What kind of scam is she pulling? Carly! Get down her and face me you little bitch!"

"Enough!" Sonny roared from behind Hannah. She turned to look at him in shock. Hannah saw the contained rage in Sonny's eyes. He moved to his bar, pouring a generous amount of scotch. Taking a long sip, Sonny faced Hannah. "Get out, Hannah."

"What? You're tossing me out because of that little slut?"

"Stop with the names, Hannah. Carly's been through hell tonight."

Hannah laughed cruelly, her eyes shining with a strange light. "What story did she give you?"

"Hannah, stop."

"My god, she's got you now, too. This is amazing. You know she lies. Anything she says is complete bull. What story did she give you? What did she say to produce this kind of protectiveness from you? Or is it something else? What? Are you trying to get in her pants?"

Slamming the glass on the bar, Sonny walked over to Hannah. "I said enough. You don't know all the details. Leave it alone. Go home and I'll see you tomorrow."

"That it?"

"Since when do I offer explanations to you?"

"Since you've got other women in your apartment!" Hannah's eyes narrowed. "How long have you been fucking her?"

Sonny flinched at her crudeness. He 'd never seen Hannah like this. "Get the hell out. Now!" He swung the front door open and watched as Hannah stormed out, slamming it shut after her. Sonny stood with his hands on the door, trying to control his temper. It wouldn't help Carly to see him upset.

"I'm sorry."

Sonny turned to the stairs when he heard her. She was wearing his black robe, the huge garment engulfing her small frame. She seemed so fragile at that moment. Sonny walked over to the foot of the stairs, holding his hand out to her. "What are you sorry for?"

Carly glanced at his hand before hesitantly giving him hers. Sonny guided her to the couch, sitting at her side. Carly avoided his eyes, afraid of what she would see there. "I'm sorry about Hannah." She glanced at his face before looking away.

Sonny shook his head, reaching for her chin and forcing her to meet his eyes. "That wasn't your fault, Carly. Hannah was completely wrong."

"I didn't make it up, Sonny. I'd never do that to you. I swear."

Sonny looked at her, shocked that she would think that. "I know that." Carly searched his eyes and satisfied she moved to stand up. Sonny's jaw tightened when she winced. "Do you mind seeing a doctor, Carly?" Carly shook her head weakly. "Tomorrow."

"Okay. Let me help you." Holding her arm, Sonny guiding her to up the stairs. She winced at every step. "Hold it." Stopping her, he reached down and brought her into his arms. Carly tensed at the move but relaxed after a second. She laid her head on his shoulder, breathing in his warmth and scent.

Sonny ignored the sudden rush of desire and pushed the door open with his foot. He laid her down on the bed, covering her with the comforter. Her hand shot out and grabbed his when he turned to leave. "Can you… would you stay with me… until I fall asleep, please?"

Sonny couldn't think of a way to say no. He realized he didn't want to. "Okay." He removed his shoes and socks. After a moment he unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off, dropping it on the floor. Carly avoided looking at him, closing her eyes tightly. She felt the dip of the bed as he got under the sheet. Sonny lay on his side staring at the back of her blond head. On instinct he moved closer, bringing her back against his chest and wrapping one arm around her waist while the other hand smoothed back her hair. He almost smiled when she snuggled into his chest and let out a long sigh. "Sonny." She mumbled as exhaustion took over.

"Hmm?"

"Why'd you come?"

"Same reason you stayed with me that night. Jason."

Carly frowned, falling deeper into unconsciousness. "That's not why I stayed."

Sonny froze at her confession. He started to ask why she had stayed but realized she's fallen asleep. He watched her sleep for a minute, glad that she could have some peace. He pulled her more tightly to him. Tomorrow. Tomorrow was soon enough to ask her what she's meant.


	4. Chapter 4

**If Only... **

_Chapter 4_

The sunlight filtering through the windows reached the bed. Carly opened her eyes slowly not used to the light. She knew she wasn't at the Q mansion because her bed faced away from the French doors. She stared at the room around her, having a hard time remembering where she was. Sitting up, she winced as a sharp pain went through her ribs. It came back to her. _Sonny_.

She turned to look at the pillow next to hers. The indentation of his head was still there. She reached over, smoothing the pillow away. He'd stayed the night it had seemed. She smiled, the effort hurting her face. Looking at the mirror with trepidation, she sighed deeply, and finding strength climbed out of the bed to face her reflection. Moving slowly, she kept her gaze to the floor until she was standing directly in front of the mirror. _Come on, Carly. _She shook her head at herself and forced her eyes to move up. She froze wishing she hadn't.

Both of her eyes were blue, her right one almost swollen shut. Her cheeks were puffed out and she had a cut above her lips, which were also swollen. Scratches and bruises covered her face and neck. She was red where she wasn't black and blue and vice versa. She heard the door to her room open and turned, bringing tear-filled eyes up to meet Sonny's.

Sonny stood rigid, seeing her face for the first time since the previous night. He'd gotten out of bed early before dawn to make arrangements for her to see a physician and to make sure his orders to find the man that did this to her was found. It had been dark and he hadn't been able to make out her face then. He could make it out just fine now.

They stood staring at each other from across the room. Carly looked away from him, fiddling with the shirt he's lent her to sleep in. "I'm sorry, Sonny."

"For what?" Sonny watched her, confused.

"That you have to see me like this."

Sonny's face softened and he moved closer, reaching her side but not touching. "Carly, look at me." She shook her head and he reached out, taking her chin and raising it to meet his eyes. "You have nothing…no, listen." He demanded when she began to protest. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You have nothing to be ashamed of. " He moved his hands to her shoulders. "This isn't your fault."

Carly fought the urge to lean her head in, to take the comfort he was offering. Instead she pulled her self up, looking him directly in his eyes. "Thank you." Sonny smiled proudly at her. Carly caught the look and tilted her head up. "Why are you smiling like that?"

"Nothing. I always knew you were tough, is all." Sonny played with a strand of her hair. "And brave. And beautiful."

Carly snorted, waving absently to the mirror, "Oh yea. I'm a regular Cindy Crawford." She moved away from Sonny, heading for the door, needing space from those brown eyes.

"Nah. She's got nothin on you, baby." Sonny joked, trying his hardest to ignore the desire running through his body, following her out the door and down the stairs.

Carly laughed for the first time in a long time. "Says you."

"Exactly. I should know."

"Cute, Corinthos." Carly walked over the dining room table, shocked at the spread in front of her. "Jesus, Sonny. Are we feeding an army or something?"

"Feeding you aren't we? Same thing." He laughed when Carly flipped him the finger. "I figured you were hungry." He glanced at her bruised lips. "Can you eat?"

"We'll have to see." She reached out and piled some food on her plate. Sonny was watching her from the sofa. "You going to stare at me or are you going to join in?" Carly said, not looking up from her plate.

Sonny joined her at the table, taking the seat to her right. He poured a cup of coffee and sat back to watch her. He needed to ask her a few questions about her attack.

"Go ahead. Shoot."

"What?"

Carly glanced at Sonny, before turning back to her plate. "You're dying to ask me some questions, so go ahead." She wiped her mouth on her napkin, dropping it on the plate. She shifted slightly, so that she faced him and nodded.

Sonny stared at her for a moment. "You reading my mind now?" Carly simply shrugged and waited for him to start. "Alright. Do you remember what he looked like?"

"They."

"They?"

Carly placed her hands on the table, not looking at him directly. "There were two of them. One, I couldn't see very well. I think he was medium built, light hair. He had a tattoo on his shoulder though. It was a heart with a knife through it. "

"Are you sure?"

"Got a pretty clear view when he was holding me down… yeah, Son, I'm sure." Carly picked up her coffee, taking a long sip to clear her throat. She caught Sonny staring at her funny. "What?"

"Nothing." He shook his head as he stood up to change seats. She's called him 'Son' like it was the most natural thing in the world. She hadn't even noticed. It was the most trivial thing she'd said but it was the one that made him realize she trusted him. He stored away the feelings that thought gave him for later when he could look at them a little more clearly. "Okay. How about the other guy?" Carly shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "What?" Sonny noticed that she was avoiding eye contact with him. "What, Carly?"

"You're going to be mad."

Sonny closed his eyes briefly. "Why?"

Carly pulled her feet up under her, wincing slightly at the pain. She placed her head on her knees. "Well, you still haven't asked me what I was doing in that alley?"

"What were you doing?"

"Following someone."

Sonny's gut knotted at her small voiced admission. There was only one person she had a habit of following. "You were following Hannah."

"Actually, not exactly."

Sonny turned surprised eyes to her, his eyebrow raised in question.

"I was following her ex."

Sonny rubbed his face roughly, tamping down the urge to strangle her. "Carly…"

"Listen to me, Sonny, okay. Just listen." Carly pleaded, coming to stand in front of him. "I know Hannah's your lady." Sonny would have laughed at the way she choked 'lady' if he hadn't been so damn angry. "I know that but I've got this gut feeling, man. Something just doesn't jive with her."

Sonny moved away from her, needing some room to breath and think. If he were honest, he'd admit she was right. Something was off about Hannah. He walked over to the French doors, staring out of them intently. "I know you hate Hannah but this… this thing you've got against her has to stop Carly. It almost got you killed last night." He made a mental note to find the dear professor and teach him a lesson about hurting women. Especially woman he cared about. The thought jarred him to his core. When the hell did he start caring about Carly?

"I know that and trust me I'm not doing something like that without back-up…"

Sonny whirled around, taking a step towards her. "Excuse me? You're not doing something like that **ever** again. Period." He rushed past her to his desk, picking up his paperwork.

Carly bit her lip as her mid whirled with another way to approach this. "Sonny." She came to stand directly behind him. She brought her hand up to his shoulder and felt him tense. "I'm fine. Really. A little shook up and a whole lot more cautious but fine." He relaxed a little as she rubbed his back comfortingly. He doubted she even noticed. "The thing with Hannah is… it's complicated. It started cause I was jealous." Carly leaned her chin on his shoulder, looking up at him. "She walked into your life and you trusted her like that." She snapped her fingers for emphasis. "And here you hated me and trusted me as far as you could throw me. Not that I gave you a lot of choice. Not to mention the fact that she was running after Jason first. That definitely didn't endear her to me. Then, she jumped on you like rice on white. But the main reason was this gut feeling, Sonny. A feeling that told me to keep my guard up, you know?"

Sonny had listened quietly, trying to forget her face was so close to his. They'd never allowed themselves to be this close. Except for that night… Sonny sighed, running his hands through his hair as he turned around. "You got a name for this feeling, Carly?"

"Uh-huh. You know what TGIC is?"

Sonny looked pensive for a second. "Ahhh… thank God it's Carly?" He smiled slightly as she laughed at him, pointing her finger at him.

"That… that, too. No, it means trust gut instinct and confidence. This isn't about hurting you or hurting her for that matter." Sonny sent her an incredulous look. "Okay, maybe hurt her a little, but when it comes down to it Sonny, I consider you one of the five people I give a damn about, I consider you my friend even if you don't feel the same and I'll be damned if you get hurt again. Not when I'm around."

Carly realized she revealed a little too much and felt her face start to get warm. Sonny was watching her with that look again. "What?"

He shook his head at her, placed his papers on the desk and walked to her. Reaching out his hand, he took hers in his and brought it up for a small kiss. "Thank you." Carly could only nod, the lump that had formed in her throat preventing her from saying anything at all. He let go of her hand and smirked down at her, "TGIC, huh?"

"You got it."

"Okay. I'll listen. Start from the beginning and don't leave anything out. "

Carly face beamed at him and he saw her beauty shine through. "No yelling? No name calling? You believe that I'm right."

Sonny smiled back at her. "I believe that you trust your instincts. The rest you'll have to convince me…" He was caught off guard when she ran to him and threw her arms around him. "Thanks, Sonny."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Sonny heard the front door slam shut and turned to see a furious Jason standing behind him. He looked down at Carly who stared back at him. They both realized she was still wearing Sonny's shirt and that Sonny's hands were still around her waist.

"Which one of you wants to explain what the hell is going on?"


	5. Chapter 5

**If Only...**

_Chapter 5_

Jason's gaze shifted from Sonny to Carly and back. "What's going on?" He felt an inexplicable rush of anger at seeing them so close.

Sonny met Carly's eyes, trying to determine how she wanted to handle the situation. She smiled up at him and squeezed his hand, which was still holding her by the waist. Moving to stand by his side, she turned to Jason, giving him a complete view of her face. "This is what happened."

"Oh my..." Jason rushed to her side, examining her face. "Carly...what?" Nudging Sonny over slightly, Jason looked over Carly's bruises. Sonny watched them intently for a moment before moving to his desk. He pretended to be interested in the mail. Carly studied him carefully. Something was bothering him. She turned her attention to Jason. "I got mugged." She glanced briefly at Sonny's surprised face.

"You got mugged?"

"Yeah." Carly walked over to the couch, fiddling with one of the pillows. "Um... I was... it was stupid. I thought I'd take a shortcut, you know? Anyway, these guys jumped me and took my pearls and wedding ring."

"Carly, your face is completely..."

"It's not that bad, Jason," Sonny cut in quickly, noting the color draining from Carly's face.

"Not that bad?" Jason caught the look on Sonny's face. "All right then, what happened? I mean, why didn't you call me?"

"I couldn't." Carly mumbled, wrapping her arms protectively around her waist. "After they left, I found a phone, but I couldn't, for the life of me, remember your number. My mind just went blank." She cleared her throat, stalling for time. She still wasn't sure why that had happened or why she had just lied to Jason. She just knew Sonny needed time to figure it all out. To try and fix the problem with Hannah on his own. He needed to save face and she was more than willing to help him.

Sonny's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "Sometimes, when you panic, things just happen."

"Yeah, I guess that was it." She looked into Sonny's eyes, smiling slightly at him. "But I remembered your number. That's something."

"Yeah. That's something." Sonny came to her side, rubbing her back gently. "Do you need to lie down for a while?"

"That would be nice."

"Okay. Why don't you get your things, Carly, and I'll set you up in the guestroom," Jason stated.

Carly hid her disappointment at the offer. She felt safe with Sonny, but it would seem strange if she didn't jump at the offer. Why wasn't she jumping at it? Nothing gave her more pleasure than to have Jason fawning all over her. She glanced quickly at Sonny, who nodded his head. "All right. Let me just call AJ and..."

"AJ?" Jason asked.

Carly shrugged her shoulders. "I had to call and let him know I wasn't coming home last night. He almost blew a gasket until I explained what happened." Carly noticed Sonny arch his eyebrow at her. She grinned, her face lighting up. "Hey, we may not like each other, but the guy isn't a monster. Besides, I think he was... busy." She wiggled her eyebrows comically, causing Sonny to burst out laughing.

"Junior? Really?"

"Oh. Wait till I tell you." She walked to the stairs, turning back to Jason. "I'll be down in a minute."

Sonny made sure she was out of earshot before turning back to Jason. "Let it go." He walked past his best friend, avoiding eye contact.

"Let it go? Sonny, if this has anything to do with me or you then I have a right to know." Jason waited while Sonny looked over his papers. "You know I didn't buy any of that crap about a mugging." He paced across the living room. "Did you notice how she avoided me?"

"Jase." Sonny ran his hand through his hair. "Just give her some time. And, as for the rest, the less you know, the better. All right?" Sonny looked directly at him, making his point clear.

Jason nodded in agreement. Sonny had his reasons for doing things. When he was ready, he'd let him know. "I'll be next door."

"I'll send her over when she's ready."

"All right." Jason patted Sonny's shoulder before walking to the door. Sonny relaxed when he heard the door close behind him. He rested his head in his hands, taking a deep breath. Putting down his papers, he made his way up the stairs. He stood in front of the guest bedroom about to knock when he heard Carly's voice coming from further down the hall. Realizing she was using the phone in his room, he smiled to himself. He could hear her talking to Michael.

"I know, Mr. Man. But I promise to be there as soon as I can...What?...I'm staying with Uncle Sonny right now..." Carly paused, then let out a soft chuckle." I'll tell him you miss him... yes... Goodnight, baby. I love you... Let. Hey... no...Let, I'm fine...woman, I'm fine, geez. Sonny's taking good care of me... That's sick... Shut up, you big dope. Tell Bobbie I said I'll call her tomorrow. Yeah... Love you too." Carly placed the phone back in the cradle and gave a start when she realized Sonny was standing in the doorway.

"You always listen to private conversations?"

"No. Just yours." He smiled, showing off his to-die-for-dimples. Carly's breath caught in her throat, and she shook herself mentally.

"You know, I bet you got away with a lot as a kid." She rose from his bed where she'd made herself comfortable. She noticed Sonny's face redden slightly. "You did, didn't you? Used them dimples all the time."

"Don't know what you're talking about."

"Ha. Right." Carly blocked his path, reaching up to pinch his cheeks. "Like you don't know they're damn near irresistible." Sonny took her hand, and they froze. Pulling her closer, their faces now inches apart, he spoke in a low voice.

"You think so." His eyes fell to her mouth, holding back a groan when she bit her lip nervously. Bringing his hand back up to her face, he pushed her hair away, letting his hands enjoy the silkiness. "I think you should go get some rest."

Carly nodded, unable to find her voice. She moved away from Sonny reluctantly. She stopped suddenly, leaned over, and gave his cheek a soft kiss, wiping away the smudge immediately. "Thank you, Son."

Sonny's eyes followed her all the way out the door. He waited until he heard the front door close. "Anytime."


	6. Chapter 6

**If Only...**

_Chapter 6_

_A few weeks later_

The huge oak doors opened and Carly stepped into the Quatermaine mansion for what would, hopefully, be her last time. Dropping her small bag on the floor she quickly scanned her surroundings, straining her hearing in case any of the family was around. She could make AJ's voice coming from the den.

Glancing past the stairs, she inhaled deeply, and clutching the papers in her hand made to confront her husband. She halted when she caught sight of him by the windows. Smirking at his back, she crossed her arms, body leaning to one side as she listened to him plead.

"Baby, please...listen...no..listen, I'll take care of everything I swear. I promise..."

Hearing way too much, Carly cleared her throat, enjoying AJ's reaction. His body tensed, his head whipped around so fast she was surprised he hadn't sprained a muscle.

"I'll call you back." He finished curtly; pushing the off button on his cell and looking her up and down disdainly. "So, you finally bother to come back."

"Hello to you too, AJ." Carly flashed him a brittle smile, strolling past him to the bar. She poured herself a thimble of scotch, downing it swiftly. AJ regarded her closely, noticing the shift in her demeanor with him. A shift he didn't like at all.

Needing to take charge of what he knew would be a fight, AJ choose the offensive. "So, I take it you're done whoring down in Florida?" He watched her spine go rigid, could feel the contained rage directed at him, coming off her in waves, and a sick pleasure washed over him.

Closing her eyes, Carly counted to ten, breathing in slowly. She noticed her fingers clutching the glass in her hand, her knuckles turning white. Relaxing her hold, she set it down with slow, deliberate movement. Her narrowed gaze met AJ's and she realized, and not for the first time, that her hatred was getting him off. Most of the time, his taunting would have lead to a fight, threats about Ferncliff and Michael. But not this time. She clutched the papers still in her hand. She had the upper hand.

"Where's Michael? Huh?" AJ fumed, jarred by Carly's lack of emotions. He glimpsed something unnamed in her eyes and felt the stirrings of fear. She was up to something.

Carly smiled sweetly, a predatory gleam in her eyes. "My son is with his grandmother and Leticia settling in."

"What the hell do you mean settling in? Oh. I see" AJ moved closer, blocking her path to the door. "You think you're taking my son."

"Wrong as usual, AJ. I _know_ I'm taking _my _son out of this hell you call a home."

AJ's eyes bore into hers, anger shimmering in their surface. "So, Jason finally gave in to your charms. Is that it? My brother let you fuck him and now you think you can leave."

Carly tsked, the same smile still firmly in place. "AJ, you only get nasty when you know you're losing." She started to walk past him before her body natural reaction to him became even more apparent and she retched. AJ hand snaked out to stop her. Carly glanced down at where it held her then back at him. "Let go."

"You know better, Carly. If you don't bring my son back, now, I'll have you in Ferncliff before you can blink." AJ hissed, his face contorted with hate, he moved in closer. To his surprise instead of recoiling, Carly placed her hand where he held her and pried him off. His stomach fell when the same smile returned to her lips.

"You know, I'm tired of the "Carly goes to Ferncliff" game. How about a new one?" Carly headed towards the couch, taking a seat and crossing her legs calmly, her arms stretched casually across its back. "What do you say, AJ. Interested?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Dynamite. Or at least fire." Carly held a laugh back at the frightened expression that passed over AJ's features before he'd managed to gain a semblance of control. "On Feb 26, you paid an arsonist to burn down Sonny's warehouse." Rising to her feet, Carly walked to AJ's side. "I got proof."

Putting up a false front, trying to buy some time, AJ laughed mirthlessly. "Right."

"You wanted custody of my son so you blamed the fire on Sonny and Jason's life, to prevent Jason from gaining custody. To make him look bad."

"Jason doesn't need me to make him look bad." AJ spewed, his eyes darting around the room.

Carly crossed her arms; her eyes steady on AJ. "The guy's name is Roger Cordel. You paid him fifteen thousand down and you were going to pay him seventy-five thousand when the job was done. But he hit you up for ten thousand more when he realized whom the warehouse belonged to. You met him on Elm Street pier three times."

"Who told you that?"

"I saw you once myself."

AJ laughed the sound hollow even to his ears and continued his fake bravado. "You think your word is worth anything."

"The police will subpoena your bank records." AJ shrugged carelessly, the sweat on his brow giving away his fear. Unfolding the papers in her hand, she moved to the desk. "Huh? Well, Roger Cordel, he already made a statement he was willing to go on the stand.

"I've never heard of him." AJ pushed past her to the bar, looking at the vodka longingly. He could feel her eyes on the back of his head.

"Oh. Okay, so no big deal if I get this to the cops, then. What do you think Eddie will say when he finds out the CEO of ELQ is going around hiring an arsonist? Won't look good for the company, will it, Junior?"

AJ spun around, his hands up in surrender, a tense smile plastered on his face. "All right, Carly. What kind of deal can we make?"

One perfect blond eyebrow rose. "Deal? You've been torturing me for months and now you want to make a deal." Carly shook her head, a chuckle escaping her mouth. "How do you know I just don't want to see you end up in jail, AJ? It might just be worth it to see what happens to a pretty boy like you up in Sing-Sing."

AJ held back a shudder, her words conjuring up an ugly picture in his mind. "You want a divorce and joint custody? Fine. You got it."

"Oh no. See, I gave you a chance for that and you blew it. How many times did I beg you for that, huh, AJ?" Carly bit her lip thoughtfully, shaking her head.

"You're telling me you don't want a divorce so you can pant after my brother? Not that being married has stopped you." AJ ranted, the last part spoken through clenched teeth.

"I want the divorce but I'm not letting you keep anything that's mine."

AJ smirked, his eyes never leaving her face. "How much do you want, Carly?"

Shaking her head, Carly fiddled with the papers she was carrying, pulling one away from the rest. "See, you always misunderstand AJ. I don't want your money. I don't." She insisted at AJ's derisive snort. "I'm walking out of this marriage with exactly what I walked in with."

"Which is?"

Carly brought the paper to him, holding out a pen in her hand.

"My son."


	7. Chapter 7

**If Only... **

_Chapter 7_

The tension in the room was palpable. Johnny glanced at Sonny and then at Jason. They sat on opposite ends of the couch with poor Benny between them. For weeks, their daily meetings had all been the same. Tension and anger always lurking below the surface of their polite conversation and business talk. Johnny would bet twenty dollars he knew why. Carly had vanished a few days before, leaving her son in the care of Bobbie, and Jason was frantic.

Francis had made the mistake of admitting to Jason that Carly had come to the penthouse the day she disappeared. Sonny had almost fired him for that one. Jason had asked, cajoled, and even threatened Sonnybut it was always the same. As soon as Jason started about Carly, the Boss would clam up. He had told Jason that, if Carly had anything to tell him, she would and not to ask him again. That had been the end of it. Jason had fallen into a sullen silence, sending daggers Sonny's way every so often. Sonny had chosen a better route. He ignored Jason.

Johnny observed the meeting as it continued, shrugging helplessly at the pleading looks Benny kept directing his way. No way was he getting involved. _But what I wouldn't give to know why Carly had visited the Boss that day... _He heard Benny make a comment about the Feds and brought his attention back into the meeting.

"I think we need to be extra careful, sir."

"I'm not disagreeing with you, Benny." Sonny rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to relieve the headache that had started to form. "I want you to do me a favor." Sonny leaned in, his elbows resting on his knees; he glanced to his side at Benny. "I need you to set up a false shipment. It's time."

The men all nodded, relief washing over them. Sonny had been a somber mess since he'd found out Hannah was a Fed. He'd decided against everyone else's better judgment that he was going to keep Hannah close so he could monitor her. They'd all protested, Johnny the loudest of all. Until the day, he'd caught the tail end of a fight between Carly and Sonny.

_"You can't be serious, Sonny." _

_"Why does everyone keep saying that? I'm dead serious." _

_Johnny stood in the shadows of the warehouse, just outside Sonny's office. He'd come to ask about a shipment and had been met with Carly prodding the boss about Hannah. His brow furrowed in confusion. He wasn't aware that Carly knew anything about the business. He smiled at his own naïveté. This was Carly. He'd only be surprised if she hadn't known something was up. _

_"Well, then, that is about the dumbest idea you could have had." Carly placed her hands on her hips. Johnny could see her temper rising steadily. He glanced at Sonny, noticing that he wasn't far behind her in the temper department. _

_"Thanks, Carly." He'd maneuvered around her, making sure he kept a good distance between them. Sonny kept his attention on his clipboard. He looked like he was willing Carly away. "Now, you can go."_

_"Don't give me that, Corinthos." Carly moved closer, removing the clipboard from his hand and forcing Sonny to look at her. "Listen to me. Ok. These guys want to get anything they can on you. If she stays close, something could slip. Then, where would we be?" Carly cradled Sonny's face, smoothing back his hair with one hand while holding his chin with the other. "Don't." She caressed his cheek softly. "Don't let your pride get the better of you. Forget about making her pay, Sonny. Rule with your head this time. Not your heart." _

_Johnny watched in stunned silence as Sonny's stony, hard face softened. Placing his hands over Carly's, his gaze flicked down to the floor and then back at her. "This isn't about me." He mumbled the admission so softly that Johnny caught himself leaning forward to listen. Realizing what he was doing, he jerked back and moved away, taking one last quick glance behind him in time to see Carly embrace Sonny, clearly catching the look that flickered across Sonny's face. _

Johnny had stood by Sonny's decision ever since that day. Ever since he'd caught the look on Sonny's face and realized that Sonny was falling for Carly. Johnny had almost fallen to his knees and thanked the heavens that the man had finally come to his senses.

The sound of raised voices yanked him out of his thoughts. He looked over at the three men, who, at the moment, were in the middle of a heated debate. _Here we go..._

Sonny sighed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at Jason. God knew he loved the guy, but he was working on his last nerve. Blocking him at every turn to spite him for not telling him where Carly had gone. _Like I know..._

He glanced at Benny, knowing the other man had an idea as to where he could find Carly. It took everything in him not to force Benny to tell him. But he knew Carly. She'd come back when she was good and ready. She hadn't wanted to tell him what she was up to, and he had to respect her wishes. He moved to the bar, pouring himself a generous amount of scotch. "I already told you, Jason. I don't know where Carly is."

"But she came to see you, Sonny. She must have left a message for me. She always does. Why else would she come here?"

Johnny cringed, sharing a look with Benny, who chose to keep his eyes on the files in front of him. He wasn't getting in the middle. Benny jumped when Sonny slammed his glass on the table.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe she came by to see me?"

"You hate Carly, and she's not very fond of you either."

Before Sonny could retort, Francis came in to tell Jason that he had a phone call in his apartment. Excusing himself, Jason rushed out, hoping it was word from Carly. The minute he stepped out the door, Johnny and Benny began to breathe more easily.

Benny studied Sonny closely, contemplating for the millionth time whether he should let the Boss in on Carly's whereabouts. He knew it would make life here a little nicer. Sonny had been a grouch since Carly had taken off a few days before. He'd yelled so much at Johnny that Benny had automatically given the boy a raise. Though he still wasn't sure why Johnny kept smiling at the Boss whenever he started a rant. It was like he had his own little secret. He made a mental note to ask him about it later.

Sonny shook his head, his own mood not going unnoticed by him. He'd been giving his men and staff hell all week. "Hey guys."

Two pairs of eyes met his. One cautious; the other... amused? It'd been happening to Sonny for awhile now. Whenever he yelled at Johnny, all he got in return was a strange smile and a pat on the shoulder. He wondered if it was time to give the bodyguard a week off. He was acting strange.

"Go on home."

"Are you sure?"

Sonny insisted, telling them that he needed to be alone. He escorted them out the door, closing it firmly behind them. He scanned the room, his eyes falling on the phone. He missed her. Running a hand through his hair, Sonny marched to the window, seeking solace in the night sky. He wanted to hear her voice. Needed to see her face. Craved the sweet smell of her perfume. And it was scaring the hell out of him.

* * *

"You're not still mad, are you, Agent Scott?" Larkin reached over, touching his cold fingers to Hannah's warm cheek. "Come on. Tell me you didn't love that I got the bitch but good."

Hannah jerked away, disgusted with Larkin and with herself for feeling affected by what he was saying. She felt him move in behind her, and she forced herself not to react. The sick, arousing sensation he always coerced out of her was taking over. His hand moved to her breast, squeezing hard, and a moan escaped from his throat when she moved back against him. "You know you liked it, baby. Remember how you came at me that night."

"You're sick."

"Yeah, but you never complain when I'm in you, do you?"

Hannah pushed his hands away. She'd made the mistake of going to him the night she'd found evidence of Carly in Sonny's house. She hadn't let him get near her since she and Sonny had been together. She loved Sonny. She didn't want to be with anyone else. But that night...

Sonny had picked that bitch over her, and that wasn't acceptable. So she'd gone straight to Larkin, just like before. She regretted it now. Sonny had been so sweet to her the next day. Hannah bit her lip, hating her own weakness.

"This is the last time, Larkin. I'm warning you."

"Oh, what? Your boyfriend got a thing for that girl?"

"NO! No. Sonny is just overprotective of women, and the little bitch is using it to her advantage."

Larkin laughed, his voice laced with condescension. "Agent Scott, green is not your color."

"Fuck you."

"If you insist."

Hannah made a motion for her gun, stopping Larkin in his tracks. "Don't tempt me." She saw the rage pass over his face and swallowed back her fear. Taking a step back, she glanced around the docks. "You need to be more careful. Sonny can't find out."

"It's time, Scott."

Hannah met his stare defiantly. "Says who?"

"They want him. It's been fun playing this game, Hannah. But you need to get him."

"I..."

"No more excuses, Hannah. You need to bring Corinthos down. Now."


	8. Chapter 8

**If Only...**

_Chapter 8_

"Hello, Miss. Good to see you again."

Carly patted Ralph on the shoulder, smiling at the charming old man. He'd been the doorman at the Harborview Towers as long as she could remember. "Hello, Ralph. How's everything been?"

"Very quiet."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Damn good, chitlet."

Carly let out a laugh, the sound like twinkling chimes. It turned more than one male head, as did the tight leather pants and silk, red chemise blouse she wore. She waved over to the front desk, receiving a handful of delighted waves and smiles in return. Stepping into the elevator, she pressed the button for the Penthouse floor. The butterflies started almost immediately, and she didn't bother to convince herself that they didn't have anything to do with the man in PH4.

**The rope that's wrapped around me**

**Is cutting through my skin**

**And the doubts that have surrounded me **

**Are finding their way in **

**I keep it close to me **

**Like a holy man prays **

**In my desperate hour**

**It's better that way **

The slow ascension to the top floor always provided her with time to get her emotions in check. She knew it never really worked. Every time she stepped out, she was flushed, which elicited a comment or two from whatever guard was on duty as to the state of her health. She bit back a smile. Sonny had gotten into the habit of feeling her forehead whenever he saw her. It was a running joke between them.

Her heart raced at the thought of seeing him again. It had been almost a week since she'd made her way to Philadelphia to talk to Roger Cordel. She'd realized her first night away how much she missed him. Almost as much as she missed her son. It was all Sonny's doing that she'd been able to get the information she needed.

_"Sonny, I need your help." _

_Pausing from pouring her a cup of coffee, he stared intently at her. The serious tone of her voice alarmed him. "What's wrong?"Leaning back against the table, he put down the pot and turned his full attention to her. _

_"I need to find a way out of that hellhole. Fast." _

_"What can I do?" _

_"Actually, I was hoping I could borrow Benny from you?" _

_Sonny was utterly confused at her request. "Benny?" _

_Carly nodded, standing to his right and mimicking his position, forcing Sonny to look sideways at her. From that angle, he could only make out her profile, which was her intention. He had an uncanny ability to read her eyes. "There's some research I need done and Benny's __**the man **__at that, you know." _

_"Why don't you tell me? You know, I'll help..."_

_With a smile, she faced him, her hand on his cheek. "I know, but I got myself into this mess, and I want to get myself out of it." _

_Sonny pushed the hurt away. "Oh. Whenever you need him, he'll be ready to help." _

_"Thank you." She pressed her lips to his face, inhaling the scent that was so him. So male. So sexy. So Sonny. "You know I trust you, right?" She asked, pulling back to look into his eyes. Sonny returned her gaze and, after a long while, nodded. _

_"Good."_

**So I'll come by and see you again **

**I'll be such a very good friend **

**Have mercy on my soul**

**I will never let you know **

**Where my mind has been**

She tapped her foot, cursing the elevator for taking so long. She wanted to give him the good news. She'd done it. She and her son were free. A grin split her face, and she almost gave a shout of triumph when the elevator finally stopped. Practically running out, she paused for a second, glancing at Jason's door. She knew how hard it had to be for Sonny to keep what she was doing a secret.

_"You want me to lie to Jason." _

_Carly heard the quiet sadness in his voice. Shaking her head, she came to stand behind him. "No. You won't be lying to him, Sonny." She placed her head on his shoulder, looking up and to the side at him. _

_Sonny tried his hardest to ignore the jolt of desire running through his body and forced himself to stick with the conversation. "How do you figure that?" _

_"Well, for one, I'm not going to tell __**you **__where I'm headed." _

_Sonny turned, his movements reverberating with anger. "The hell you won't."_

_Ignoring his macho bull and his intimidation tactics, Carly crossed her arms, ready for a confrontation. "The hell I will." _

_"You tell me that you and Benny found a loophole, as you call it, to your marriage to Junior and that you're on your way to get what you need, but you're not going to tell me what it is or where you're going?" Sonny was at a near shout, a sickening fear taking over his common sense. _

_"That's right." Carly gave no further argument. _

_"Bull." Sonny paced the floor, pointing his finger in her direction. "What if something happens to you? How the hell am I supposed to help? Did you happen to forget that no more than a month ago you were assaulted? Cause I sure as hell haven't." _

_"Son. Listen. Benny will know where I am. I'm going to check in with him a few times a day. If I don't check in, he'll know to tell you. Don't worry." _

_"She says, don't worry." Sonny laughed mirthlessly, refusing to meet her gaze. He stood rigidly, his hands clenching and unclenching, until he was certain his temper was in check. Lowering his head, he spoke quietly. "I can't have anything happen to you, Carly." _

_No other sound was heard in the room. He finally heard her move and could feel her warmth at his back. Sonny forced his body to turn and look at her. The minute his eyes met hers, he regretted having said anything. Her eyes were brimming with tears. "Carly, I'm sorry..." _

_"Shut up." , she replied and before either one knew what was happening, Carly pulled him to her..._

**Angels never came down**

**There's no one here they want to hang around**

**But if they knew **

**If they knew you at all**

**Then one by one the angels **

**Angels would fall **

The memory of their goodbye was still fresh in her mind. Francis stood at his spot, his face breaking into a smile when he saw her. She smiled back, then moved to the door, knocking almost timidly. "Sonny?" She opened the door slowly, scanning the room. He wasn't downstairs. She closed the door, disposing of her coat and purse on his desk chair. The picture frame caught her eye, and she picked it up. It was a picture of Michael. She moved towards the couch, the picture still in her hand. It stirred something deep inside her to know that Sonny had a picture of her son on his desk. An emotion she wasn't yet sure she was ready to feel.

**I've crept into your temple **

**I have slept upon your pew**

**I've dreamed of the divinity **

**Inside and out of you**

**I want it more than truth **

**I can taste it on my breath**

**I would give my life just for a little death**

The glass twirled in his hand, the ice clinking softly, the coldness of the alcohol numbing his hand. He took a sip, making a face at the watered-down taste but remembering his promise.

_"If you insist on drinking so much..."_

_"Not another lecture on my alcohol consumption," Sonny teased, enjoying the dirty look she sent his way. "You know, I only started liking you a few weeks ago and here you are, already trying to run my life." _

_"I'm just saying, since you didn't appreciate my comments on cutting back on the scotch, I figured you would try maybe drinking it on the rocks..." _

_"That makes it more watery," Sonny said cheekily. She didn't know it, but, the day she'd mentioned his drinking, he'd cut back. He only drank when she was around, mostly to drive her to distraction. _

_"That would be the point, Einstein." _

_He knew she had some issues with drinking. "Okay. Since it means that much to you..." _

_"Really?" _

_"Really."_

**Angels never came down**

**There's no one here they want to hang around**

**But if they knew **

**If they knew you at all**

**Then one by one the angels **

**Angels would fall**

Sonny smiled faintly at the memory. Ever since the assault, Carly had made it a point to check in with Sonny: calling him at all hours, dropping by everyday, bringing Mikey by for lunch. It got to the point that, when she wasn't around or if she didn't call, he'd start to worry. The first day she didn't call him or drop by, he'd called her cell numerous times. She'd laughed at him and told him it "was about damn time" he called her.

He missed her. Like crazy. He caught his reflection in the window, seeing the tired eyes looking back at him. He hadn't slept well since she'd left. Thoughts of Carly consumed him at the worst possible times. He'd almost jumped Benny when his phone had rung a few days before, and he'd realized Benny was talking to Carly. But his promise hung in the air...

_Sonny closed his eyes, enjoying the sensations Carly's body being in such close proximity sent through him. She wiggled a bit in his embrace, and he had to choke down a groan. This was even worse than the hug she'd given him a few weeks before at the warehouse. _

_His hands encircled her waist, and he pulled away, keeping her close to him still. "What was that for?" _

_"Because you're damn near the sweetest man I've ever met." _

_"Me?" _

_"Yeah. You." _

_Sonny grinned, his dimples flashing down at her. "I know." He laughed at her outraged cry and ducked away from her playful punch, releasing her in the process. He watched her fiddle with his shirt before looking back up at him. "So, you're going to let me do this, right?" _

_Sonny inhaled a long intake of air, rubbing the bridge of his noise furiously. "I can't believe I'm doing this. Ok. Fine. I won't push you to tell me." _

_"Yea!" _

_"But..." _

_"But?" _

_"Yeah. But, I'd be a little happier if you took Joseph with you. I promise I won't check up or make him check in, but it would make me feel a whole lot better if I knew someone was watching your back." _

_Carly considered it for a few minutes, then held out her hand. "Deal." _

_"Deal." Sonny took her hand in his, the electricity coursing between them. Throwing caution to the wind, not caring if he revealed too much, he pulled her to him tightly. " Please be careful. Promise."_

_Carly nodded against him, "Promise." His shirt muffled her reply. She gazed up at him, her chin firmly on his chest._

_"You need to promise something, too." _

_"What?" _

_"You'll wait until I'm back before you move in on Hannah-Banana." _

_Sonny eyed her. "Why?" _

"_Two reasons. First, I owe her. Big time. I so want to be there when the shit hits the fan. _

_"And two?"_

_"Two... I know, no matter what you say, this is going to be hard for you. I want to be here for my friend is all. So, you promise." _

_Her concern had moved him beyond speech. He pulled her back into his arms. _

_"Promise..."_

**So I'll come by and see you again**

**I'll be just a very good friend**

**I will not look upon your face **

**I will not touch upon your grace **

**Your ecclesiastic skin **

He'd kept his promise so far. It was killing him everyday to pretend to feel anything for Hannah other than contempt. He cleared his head of all thoughts of Hannah. He opened the window, letting in the crisp October air. It was unusually warm for fall, and the smell of dried leaves wafted into the room. He could smell gardenias and wildflowers. It took him back to another night.

_I understand now. _

_You understand what?_

_What the finest lady Jason ever saw... saw in you._

The faintest memories of that night in August when Carly had stayed with him came back to him on occasion. He couldn't remember it all. Never could. But he remembered her hands. Her warmth. Her voice.

He needed to hear her voice. Promise or no promise. Sonny walked out of his room. His shirt hung open and flailing behind him as he took the steps to the first floor. He stopped midway down, seeing the leather-clad figure sitting on his couch.

**Angels never came down**

**There's no one here they want to hang around**

**But if they knew **

**If they knew you at all**

**Then one by one the angels **

**Angels would fall **

"Carly?"

Hearing Sonny's voice brought her head up from her lap. She craned her neck and saw him standing in all his half-naked glory on the stairs. She set the picture down on the coffee table, standing to look at him.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself."

Sonny grinned, his twin dimples crossing his face. He stuck his hand out to her, descending the rest of the way. "C'mere."

**I'll come by and see you again**

**I'll have to be a very good friend**

**If I whisper they will know **

**I'll just turn around and go **

**You will never know my sin**

Carly felt her own face split into a grin, and her eyes filled with tears. Without preamble, she ran into his arms, relishing the feel of them around her. She inhaled deeply, loving the familiarity of him.

Sonny touched her hair briefly, bringing his face down to it and smelling the sweet scent of roses. He embraced her tightly, not wanting to release her yet. Stroking her hair, he pulled away slightly, touching his hand to her forehead. Carly giggled, her arms circling his neck, and buried her head in his shoulder. Sonny's eyes closed, and a relieved sigh escaped his throat.

"Damn, I missed you."

"Ditto."

**Angels never came down**

**There's no one here they want to hang around**

**But if they knew **

**If they knew you at all**

**Then one by one the angels **

**Angels would fall **

**Lyrics: Angels Will Fall by Melissa Etheridge**


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's Note: I know how some of us, (the majority) hate Elizabeth BUT I really love Becky and think she's a damn talented actress and thanks to LizFan's brainwashing, lol, have recently started liking the character again. Seeing as Liz is unimportant in one of my fics and evil in another, I figured I'd give her a break here...lol... Liz haters you've been warned..._

**If Only...**

_Chapter 9_

Stepping out of the elevator, Jason focused on Sonny's door, determined to get some answers about Carly. He stopped when Francis blocked his path. "Francis?"

"Sorry, Jason but Boss' not seeing anyone right now." Francis knew better than to let Jason anywhere near the penthouse now that Carly was back. The man had been driving them all crazy. He figured that if Carly had wanted to see Jason she would have let herself into his apartment. Or asked him to let her in like... "Besides, you have a visitor."

"I do?"

Francis nodded, jerking his head to Jason's door. "She's inside."

Jason smiled, relief propelling him across the hall and through his door. "Carly..."

"No. Sorry. Just me." Elizabeth smiled, tossing aside the magazine she's been entertaining herself with. "That's the reason I'm here. I was wondering if you had heard anything from Carly yet?"

"No. Not a thing." He picked up a stray file, opening and closing his desk drawer, avoiding looking at Elizabeth. He didn't want to talk about Carly to Elizabeth. He knew he'd been spending all his time with Elizabeth and ignoring Carly. Now, Carly was anger with him and making him pay. "Listen, Elizabeth..." He halted seeing the look that came across her face.

"It's all right. I'll go." Elizabeth responded, gathering her jacket and bag she headed to the door. Her hand on the doorknob, she cursed softly, whirling around at Jason. "You know what? It's not okay."

"What?" Jason asked taken aback by her sudden outburst. "I'm sorry. I don't understand."

"Why do spend time with me?" Elizabeth asked, studying the man in front of her closely. She watched his clear blue gaze return her scrutiny. She could see her question had confused him but she wasn't willing to stop. "What's the point of it, Jason?"

"I like spending time with you, Elizabeth."

"Why?"

"What kind of a question is that?" Jason grew irritated not liking the direction the conversation was taking.

"A very valid one. And seeing as you don't want to answer it, I'll answer for you. I'm a distraction, Jason. Plain and simple. Something to keep Carly at bay and interested all at once. " The blank look that met her fueled her temper and picking up some papers she threw them in his direction.

"Elizabeth!"

"Jason!" was her mocking response. "What? You don't think I have a temper? Trust me I have one as big as Carly's." Inhaling slowly, she closed her eyes, willing herself to remain calm. "You know that for awhile I thought that Carly was an obligation to you. That you put up with her, as everyone so nicely puts it, because of Michael. But now I get it. You **need** Carly to need you. "

"That's ridiculous. I want Carly to be able-"

"Save it cause its bullshit." Elizabeth opened the door, gripping the handle hard. Johnny and Francis heard the raised voices and stuck their heads around the corner to watch the couple. "You can't stand the fact that Carly did something on her own. God forbid, she goes to anyone but you for help. How dare she put herself and her son before you." Elizabeth spat, a bitter smile on her lips. "Do yourself and Carly a favor Jason. Come to grip with whatever it is that you feel for her. Because honestly the way you yo-yo around with your feelings for her is, and forgive me for being crude, fucked up." Jason's gapping expression would have normally caused her to laugh but she was on a roll. "Yes, I said fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuckiety fuck fuck fuck."

Francis held back a laugh, meeting Johnny amused eyes and turning back to the scene. Neither Jason nor Elizabeth moved an inch, staring each other down. Johnny's opinion of Elizabeth changed. She was definitely too much woman for Jason.

"Listen to me, Jason. Don't even think about using me to get to Carly. If you really want to pursue some kind of relationship, then fine. But you need to close the door on whatever it is you and Carly have. For her sake more than yours. She has a right to find someone who can **allow** themselves to love her the way she deserves. If it's you, good. If it isn't, then let her find it somewhere else." Elizabeth could feel eyes staring at the back of her head. Her face grew hot when it became clear she's just given the whole floor an earful. _Well, she's gone this far._"I like you Jason. A lot. But I like Carly and myself a little more than to continue to help you hurt her." She raised her hand before he could argue." You may not have done it purposely but you did anyway. And it's unfair. To you. To me. To her. So..." Elizabeth felt the Lizzie in her take over for that moment. "Either shit or get off the pot." With that she closed the door firmly behind her, walking to the elevator. She heard the door open once more and felt his piercing stare but refused to look back. The doors opened and she stepped inside, pressing the down button, determined to walk out of his life.

Jason stood rigid, staring at the closed doors of the elevators. His eyes met Johnny and Francis who seemed to find the floor and ceiling, respectively, especially captivating. Without a word, he grabbed his leather coat and headed out, not looking at the two bodyguards. He needed time to think. Time to process what had just occurred. The underground parking was deserted and dark. He pulled up to the spot where his motorcycle was parked. He stared quietly into the dark sky, Elizabeth words ringing in his head.

_"She has a right to find someone who can __**allow**__ themselves to love her the way she deserves. If it's you, good. If it isn't, then let her find it somewhere else."_

* * *

It seemed an eternity before Sonny forced his body to move away from Carly's. He gazed down at the top of her head. "When did you get back?"

Carly heard the emotion in his voice and her heart swelled. "Couple of hours ago."

"Couple of hours? Why didn't Joseph tell me?"

"Because I told him I was coming to see you tonight and wanted it to be a surprise. He'll probably call you tomorrow."

Sonny nodded in understanding, making a mental note to remind all his men whom they worked for. Carly seemed to have some influence on them._ Not just them, Corinthos..._ He pushed the thought out of his head. Taking her by the hand and leading her to the couch, he waited until she sat before taking a place on the table in front of her. "Okay. So now do I get to know what you were doing?"

"Yes." Carly went to his desk, removing some papers from her purse and rejoining him. She handed him the papers. "Take a look."

Sonny studied the papers she had placed in his hands. After a minute, he brought his astonished gaze to her face. "How...?"

"Remember when I told you I saw AJ talking to a guy on the docks about the fire and we figured out he paid... had paid him to torch the warehouse?"

"Right. Then the guy just disappeared."

"Right. So, I went to Luke to see if he could put a name to a face, which he did. Then, Benny helped me locate him down in Philadelphia. I went to see him a couple of times. Took that long to convince him I meant business."

"Went to see him?"

"Yeah. He's incarcerated. Big surprise. Anyway -"

"Hold it. You went to a state prison? By yourself?"

Carly stifled the urge to roll her eyes. "No silly. I took Joseph with me. Well, at least I did the second and third time."

"Second and third time?"

"Okay, are you going to let me finish or what?"

Sonny resisted the urge to strangle her and mutely waited for her to continue. Carly smiled widely. " Good. So anyway, I scared him into signing a document admitting his guilt and AJ's. Came back home. Benny had put me into contact with Justice and he drew up all the legal papers, forcing AJ to give up all his rights to Michael plus give me a divorce. Soon as I got here I picked up the papers from Justice, headed to the mansion, and confronted weasel boy and ta da!" She grinned at Sonny proudly.

"You did all that?" Sonny asked.

Carly shrugged nonchalantly; embarrassed at the look Sonny was giving her. "Yeah. Proud?"

He picked her up and hugged her to him. "Hell yeah."

Carly laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck. Warmth enveloped her and she closed her eyes, loving the feel of Sonny. She loved being his friend. Being in his life. Carly refused to consider that Sonny would ever want anything more from her. She wasn't his type but she hoped he's let her have a spot in his life. Keeping that thought, she pulled away far enough to look up at his face. His reaction to her next proposal was more important then anything else. "Sonny. I need one more favor."

Sonny stared down into her beautiful brown eyes. Tucking her hair behind one ear, he brought his full attention to her. "Shoot."

"I want to move in with you."


	10. Chapter 10

**If Only...**

_Chapter 10_

"Come again?"

"I want to move in with you."

Sonny stood stiffly, needing as much distance between them as possible. She couldn't mean what she was saying. He busied himself with the papers on his desk, collecting his racing thoughts. "Why?"

Carly blinked. "Why?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Well I don't really have anywhere to go."

"That's not exactly true. Jason..."

"I don't want to move in with Jason. I want to live here."

Sonny turned to look at her, keeping his eyes to the floor. "Why do you want to move in with me? I mean... I just thought that now that your free... you and Jase..." He let the sentence trail off.

Carly sighed. "Jason and I are **so** not even an issue, Sonny."

"You've loved him for a long time."

"Have I?"

Sonny stared. "You have."

Carly shook her head slightly. "I don't know anymore, Son." She picked at her fingers nervously, tossing her blond hair over her shoulder.

The muscles in his chest constricted at the simple movement. He could make out the line of her cheek, her long eyelashes, the fullness of her perfect lips. He clenched his hands into fists, resisting the urge to touch her. "What do you mean?" He silently willed her to look his way, to turn those soulful eyes towards his own. If he could see into them he might just understand where she was headed. As if she read his thoughts she stared directly at him and his heart contracted at the sadness he could read in her gaze.

"I don't think I love him Sonny. I mean, I love him of course but not like I thought. He's been my rock. My savior more times than I can count." Carly sprang up, pacing in a circle in front of the fireplace. She stopped, taking the picture of Michael and Jason from the mantle. After a long pause, she spoke softly. "But I learned something in the last few weeks." She placed the frame down gently. "I always believed I could only count on Jason when I was in trouble. When I needed someone to save me. But that's not true."

Sonny's eyes followed her every move. "It's not?"

"No." Carly glanced at him then quickly averted her eyes to the table. "I learned that I could count on myself... and you."

"You can always count on me." Sonny said softly.

Carly met his eyes and smiled widely. "I know that. That's why I want to live here...with you..."

Sonny shook his head. "Carly...I don't know..."

"Listen to me, okay." She came to stand by his side, gripping his jacket lapels lightly; she turned him to face her. "It's not forever or anything. Just until I can get a decent enough amount of money to get a nice apartment for me and Michael."

"Carly, if you're worried about your financial situation, you know I can..."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you've done so much for me already. I don't want you to go anymore out of your way."

"Carly, I don't see it like that."

"I do. You're my friend. I'm not going to use you. I plan on paying you back."

Sonny rolled his eyes. "Carly..."

"Sonny. Look, letting us stay here will be enough help"

"I could find you and Michael a great place."

She picked at a piece of lint of his arm. "Michael's been uprooted a few too many times and I just want to bring him someplace that's familiar."

Sonny sighed. "That makes sense. But he's been at Jason's..."

"Sonny, he grew up in this penthouse. He's spent the most time here. He loves you."

"And I love him..."

"Okay. So. What's the problem, Corinthos?" She joked, shaking him slightly. "It's not like you'll be bringing women home...anytime soon." She added at his narrowed stare.

"Well, what if I do want to bring a woman home? What then?"

Carly shoved the rush of jealously aside. _What woman? _She'd been away for a week and he'd already met some bimbo. She cleared her throat while she smoothed her hands down his shoulders. "Then, Michael and I will make ourselves scarce."

"Ha."

"Ha?"

"Yeah. Ha."

Carly crossed her arms. "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means you wouldn't know subtle if it bit ya in that cute behind of yours."

"I resent that!"

"See. Here's another reason why you living here just wouldn't work."

"What?"

"We fight all the time, Carly."

"So?"

"So, I like it to be quiet and peaceful in my home." Sonny moved to the bar, pouring a hefty amount of scotch in his glance and ignoring Carly's pointed stare. "You are many things but quiet ain't one of them."

"I know what you're doing Corinthos and it's not going to work."

"What am I doing?"

"You're trying to make me angry so I won't want to stay here. It's not going to happen for two reasons."

"Which are?"

"One. I've made up my mind and once that's done, no going back."

"Uh-huh. And two?"

"I can't really stay angry with you."

"Since when?"

"Well, since you started flashing those dimples my way. I'm a sucker for dimples." She winked at him, leaning back against his desk. "But don't tell anyone I said that."

Sonny barked out a laugh. "You are going to be the death of me, Benson."

"I hope not." Carly made her way to his side. She placed her head on his shoulder, looking up at him sweetly. "So is this a yes?"

Sonny stared at her for what seemed like hours. Carly bit her lip, waiting with bated breath for his response.

"I know I'm going to regret this..."

"Yay!" Carly clapped her hands together. "I knew you would do it." She hugged him tightly. "I have to go get Michael and Lettie." She picked up her purse and ran for the door.

"Carly. There are some ground rules..."

"Yeah. Yeah. Ground rules. Just write them down, I'll look at them later." She sent him an air kiss and shut the door behind her.

Sonny rubbed his face, staring at the closed door. "What the hell did you just get yourself into Corinthos?"

* * *

_Cortland Street_

AJ leaned his head back against the pillows, pulling the warm body of his companion to his side. "That was incredible."

He heard her raspy laugh and opened his eyes slightly to stare at her dark eyes. She straddled his lap, licking her lips in anticipation. "We always are."

AJ smirked. "Very true. So, what where we talking about?" He positioned himself and watched her eyes darken slightly as he entered her roughly. He gripped her hips hard.

"AJ..."

"Tell me again what we were discussing?" He smiled as he drove into her sharply, faster. He could feel her tightening around him. He paused, groping her breasts painfully, enjoying the gasp she gave. "Say it again."

Hannah grinned down at him. "We're going to kill Carly."


	11. Chapter 11

**If Only...**

_Chapter 11_

"Johnny, be careful with that, please."

"Yes, Ms. Benson." Johnny concentrated on keeping the piece of furniture he and Francis were hauling off his toes and wondered for the fiftieth time that day how he got talked into this. He glanced at Carly, then at the man standing behind her in the doorway. _Stupid question, __O'Brien, __stupid question..._

"Carly..."

"Give me a minute, Corinthos. Francis, you sure you can handle that? I don't want it to break."

_She's worried about the furniture. _Francis rolled his eyes. _What about me breaking? _"It's okay, Ms. Benson."

"Um... Carly..."

"Hold on, Sonny," Carly called over her shoulder without turning around. "Johnny, can you move that a little to the left?", she instructed the bodyguard, pointing to the spot where she wanted it.

"Carly..."

"Be with ya in a minute, Son. Francis, just put that down right next to - "

"Caroline!"

"Oh, for Pete's sake. Michael!" Carly mocked, swirling around to face Sonny and subsequently getting her first good look at him. She paused, realizing why he had been trying to get her attention. Sonny stood in the doorway with a very heavy-looking box, while behind him were a disgruntled-looking Joseph and Adam. They were holding another huge box between the two of them.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your decorating party here, but can you tell us where to put these damn things before our arms fall off?" Sonny asked through gritted teeth, sweat visible on his forehead.

_That would be a shame because they are some good-looking arms,_ Carly thought, admiringly studying Sonny's sinewy muscles, which were in clear view thanks to his muscle shirt. She needed to move more often.

"I swear to God, Benson, I'll drop this thing right here."

Carly's gaze flew to his face, and she smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry. That goes in the den, Sonny. Adam, Joey, that box is for the bedroom. Thanks."

Sonny would have laughed at the "Nazi Blondes" and "Chicks and Their Crap" being muttered by Adam and Joseph if he hadn't actually been having visions of killing Carly himself. The two bodyguards moved past him to the stairs. He followed closely, veering off into his den. He set the box down among dozens of others, still baffled at how Carly could have accumulated all this stuff, and then headed back out into the living room. He stopped just short of the sofa.

"Do you really think we need that thing?" he asked, nodding at the ottoman that Johnny and Francis were still hauling around, per Carly's instructions.

Carly stopped to study the deep burgundy and gold ottoman closely. She'd been sure it would suit the room and compliment the color of the sofa. She'd thought it would brighten up the place, which was in bad need of a woman's touch, and she'd been right. "I think it looks good," Carly replied, turning to look at him. "I mean, God knows, you need some color in your life, Son."

"Oh yeah?" Sonny responded, his eyebrow arched.

Johnny and Francis exchanged a glance over the ottoman and smiled. They had been discussing the couple with Benny, and he'd made the same comment. Johnny could still hear the older man's laughter when they'd told him that Carly was moving in.

_"Boss doesn't have a clue what he's in for, does he?"_

Then, he'd walked away, shaking his head with a bemused expression on his face.

Sonny circled the ottoman. "It's so... you." He looked up at Carly.

She frowned. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Did I say that?"

"So you like it?"

Johnny glanced at Adam and Joseph as they joined them. They stared, fascinated by Sonny and Carly.

"I didn't say that either."

"You know, Sonny, you can be a real pain sometimes."

Sonny stared at her. "Well, sweetheart, if that's the case, maybe it'd be better if I helped find you a different place. I'm sure the men wouldn't mind helping out again." He ignored the choking sound Adam made. He watched from the corner of his eye as Joseph practically dragged the young bodyguard away before he made a scene.

"Oh. So that's what this is all about," Carly stated, walking towards the couch and sitting down.

"I have no idea what you mean," Sonny replied innocently. "I'm just thinking of your comfort here, Benson. If I annoy you so much..." He ducked, avoiding the pillow flying toward his head. "Hey!"

Johnny exchanged another glance with Francis. He knew what the other guard was thinking. It was a good thing Jason had to leave on an "emergency" trip to Puerto Rico for a week. He would have ruined Sonny and Carly moving in together. Not on purpose, mind you, but Jason could be... dense. Johnny made a mental note to thank Benny for "discovering" the "emergency." _You gotta love Benny..._

Johnny observed in amusement as Carly and Sonny continued to argue. He'd never seen the Boss look so...

Happy.

He halted in his tracks, the thought taking him by surprise. Francis, not having seen him stop, rammed into his back.

"What's the deal?" Francis asked, irritated.

"Sorry," Johnny apologized, then he turned to Carly. "Ms. Benson?"

Carly paused in her explanation to Sonny about what was wrong with his attitude and turned to the bodyguard. "Johnny, Carly, please. What's up?"

"Just wanted to know if this is okay here." He pointed at the ottoman, ignoring the furious look Sonny sent him.

Carly walked to the ottoman, studied it from all angles, adjusted the throw, studied it once more, and bent down to smooth out the fabric. Johnny nudged Francis, nodding his head toward Sonny who was admiring the view - his head tilted slightly, a smile playing on his lips. He caught his men grinning at him and jerked around quickly, heading to the bar, forcing his mind and eyes elsewhere.

At this rate, he'd be a drunk by the end of the week. He poured a healthy dose of scotch into his glass, clanking it loudly so that Carly would hear it.

"I thought you were cutting down."

"Well, if you don't like it..." He hid a smile at her frustrated sigh.

"You're impossible, you know that?"

"But that's what you love about me, baby," Sonny drawled, sipping his drink and grinning at her over the rim.

Carly started to tell him, in explicit detail, what part of her anatomy he could kiss when the door opened and Michael dashed in, followed by Leticia.

"Mommy! Uncle Sonny!" He ran to his mother, giving her a kiss, then he turned and ran to Sonny, jumping into his arms.

"Hey there, buddy." Sonny hugged the little boy tightly. "You excited to be moving in with Uncle Sonny?"

Michael nodded, grinning at him. "Mommy's really happy too!"

Carly narrowed her eyes, making a mental note to have a talk with her son about family loyalty.

"Well, you know, so am I, buddy," Sonny admitted, meeting Carly's gaze. They stared at each other for a long moment. An almost palpatable current of electricity flowed between them.

Sonny felt his heart begin to beat faster and he reminded himself to breath. His eyes fell to her lips, biting back a groan when they parted slightly, her tongue peeking out to moisten them. _You're screwed Corinthos..._

An image of Carly wrapped in his stain sheets flashed through his mind...

_Bad choice of words Sonny..._

Carly's eyes widened and she drew in a sharp intake of breath when Sonny's eyes grew dark with desire. They met hers once more and she had dig her nails sharply into her skin to keep from walking to him. Her breathing was shallow suddenly. _Damn, who turned on the heat..._

Johnny, Leticia, and Francis looked from Sonny to Carly and back again, then glanced at each other. When it was apparent that Sonny and Carly had forgotten their visitors, they began to shuffle their feet, clear their throats repeatedly, and look around the room for a distraction.

Carly broke away from the moment. "Leticia, how about you take Mr. Man to his room." She heard how breathless she sounded and blushed.

"No problem. Let's go, kiddo." Leticia hauled Mikey into her arms and headed up the stairs, glancing slyly at Johnny. She jerked her head to the door. Johnny shrugged his shoulders, staring at her in confusion. Leticia rolled her eyes, jerked her head to Sonny and Carly, then to Johnny and Francis, and finally to the door.

"Oh! Um, sir..." Johnny began, his gaze following Leticia until she disappeared from his view. "If you don't need us anymore..."

Sonny turned to Carly. She shook her head, unable to form any coherent thoughts. She felt overwhelmed by what had just passed between them and needed a few moments to collect herself.

"Go home. Thanks guys." Sonny waved them off. When the door closed behind them, he turned back to Carly. "So how's it feel to be stuck with - what is it you call me? Oh, right, the control freak?" Sonny asked, trying to lighten the mood. He could see she was feeling a little thrown by their earlier exchange.

Carly laughed out loud, shaking her head at him. He was going to give her a break and ignore what had happened because she was uncomfortable. That was Sonny for you. Always thinking of her first. She felt like... _oh, don't go there, Benson._ "I could ask you the same, huh?" She smiled, following his lead. "How's it feel to be living with the certifiably crazy town nympho?"

Sonny gave her a once over. "Nympho, huh? This could be a good thing after all." He wiggled his eyebrows comically.

Carly threw another pillow at him, laughing. "Shudyap. I figured nympho was nicer than tramp."

"Carly..."

"Sonny, it's okay. I'm used to it."

"That doesn't make it right. You are **NOT** a slut, okay?"

Carly looked at her lap. "You thought I was."

Sonny suppressed the urge to kick himself. "I never really - I - I was wrong. You are a beautiful, intelligent, funny woman - a great mother to Michael and one of the best friends I've ever had." He watched her eyes tear up, and, before he could say anything, she was walking towards him.

Carly hugged him, her head resting on his shoulder. "Watch it, Corinthos. You're going to give me a big head."

"You mean bigger." He chuckled when she hit him gently on the back. He inhaled deeply. Roses... always roses. Carly pulled back, looking into his eyes. "Tell you what? How about I take you out to celebrate?"

"Out?" Sonny asked.

"Yeah, Son. Out. You know." She pointed to the window. "Out. Where the other people are."

Sonny sent her a the type of withering glance which would have made most _men's_ knees knock, but Carly only grinned at him.

"Where exactly would you like to go?"

"How about Luke's?"

"I'm not Luke's favorite person, and neither are you."

"Oh, he hates me, but the feeling's mutual. He doesn't take kindly to me hanging out at his club."

"More reason to do it, right?"

"Hehe. I mean, I want to go out with you. You know, outside." She laughed when he made a face at her. "Have some fun. Annoying Uncle Luke is just a bonus." She grabbed the lapels of his jacket and shook him gently. Sonny's hand fell to her waist automatically. "What do you say?"

Sonny brushed some stray tendrils off her forehead. "You got a date."

"Good." She kissed his cheek, wiping the lipstick away immediately.

"I have a meeting to go to, but how about I pick you up around 7?" Sonny glanced at his watch. Benny was probably having a coronary by now, seeing as he was an hour late.

Carly looked at him, concerned. "Everything okay?"

"Carly, you know..."

"I don't want to know what exactly is going on, Mr. Don't-Ask-Won't-Tell. I just want to know that you'll be okay."

Sonny caressed her cheek. "I'll be fine."

"Good. You know what? Let's make this easier. How about I meet you at Luke's - 7 tonight?"

"Sounds good."

She walked him to the door, closing it only after he'd gotten into the elevator.

"So… going out tonight?"

Carly yelped, jumping at Leticia's voice. "Don't do that. I hate it when you do that." She avoided her friend's gaze. "Aren't you supposed to be helping Michael unpack?"

"Michael's taking a nap."

"Oh. Hey, I think Johnny may like you a little bit. Did you notice the way he was staring at you tonight?" Carly asked, walking around the room, randomly picking up things.

"How many times do I have to say that Johnny doesn't - oh no. Wait a sec. You're not going to avoid **my** question. What is this about a date?"

Carly sighed. "Sonny and I are just going to hang out at Luke's to celebrate that we managed to move me in here without us killing each other." She crossed her arms, her body in a defensive stance. "What's with the questions anyway, Lettie? Since when do I answer to you?"

Leticia grinned at her. "Man, you are gone."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You and Mr. Corinthos. You've got the hots for him, Car. Admit it."

Carly tensed. "I do not."

"Oh, come on. I've seen you two. The little flirting you do. The jokes you share. How you can get him to do almost anything. The way you check him out."

"I **DO NOT **have the hots for Sonny."

"And the way he looks at** you**. Mama mia!" Lettie fanned herself, turning her back to Carly. She knew her friend well enough to know her curiosity was peaked. _One, two, three._

"How does he look at me?"

Leticia walked towards Carly. "Like when you walk in a room, everyone else fades away. He can't keep his eyes off of you. I know you don't think it's possible, but I'm telling you, you and Mr. Corinthos, you got something special, girl. Something most people would sell their souls for. " She held Carly's shoulders and stared at her intently. "Take a chance, Car." Without saying anything more, Leticia walked into the kitchen, leaving a very confused and hopeful Carly alone with her thoughts.

* * *

"I want that bitch dead," Hannah seethed.

Larkin came up behind her, his warm breath on the back of her head, making her shiver in disgust and need. "Are you angry 'cause Corinthos replaced you so quickly?" He leaned in, kissing her neck. "Or because he replaced you with her?"

Hannah pulled away, glaring at him. "What the hell did you want to see me for?"

Larkin smirked. "It's been set up."

"When?"

"Two weeks."

"Why that long?" Hannah whined.

"Patience is a virtue, Hannah, dear. You need to learn that."

"Fuck patience. I want that woman taken care of."

"And she will be… when I'm ready." Hannah started to turn but yelped when Larkin wrapped his hand in her hair and pulled it hard. "You listen to me. Don't do a damn thing before I give you the say-so or, I swear, I will make you sorry." He turned her around, smashing his lips into hers. Hannah gave in for a moment and then suddenly pushed away.

"You're a sick bastard", Hannah hissed, stomping away.

"And, yet, you still fuck me!" Larkin yelled at Hannah's retreating back. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, looking around the docks.

"Sir," he spoke into the phone. "We're ready."

* * *

**Luke's **

Sonny entered the club, scanning the room for Carly. It was a Friday night, and Luke's was full of the usual students and residents - the blue collars who'd been paid that day, plus the regulars. Sonny weaved his way through the crowd, keeping his eyes open for his new roommate. He smiled at the thought. He caught a glimpse of blonde hair at the bar and turned to see Carly in a flowing red dress. Slits on both sides gave an ample view of her crossed legs. Her hair was pinned to her head in a French twist except for a few stray tendrils that fell on the back of her neck. Sonny swallowed hard, forcing his pulse to return to normal.

Claude caught sight of him and pointed in his direction. Carly turned and grinned. The room seemed to get brighter suddenly, and Sonny found himself smiling back. He took his time reaching her so as not to appear too eager or too happy to see her.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself." Carly smiled again. "Everything go okay at the meeting?"

"Well, Benny was rude the entire time because I hadn't called to tell him I was gonna be late. Sometimes, I swear, he forgets who the boss is."

"Big Bad Mobster Man Sonny, that's who," Carly joked, winking at Claude.

"Are you making fun of me?" Sonny grinned, leaning over her. His eyes fell to her lips briefly before returning to meet her gaze.

"Why? Does that turn you on?"

Carly's eyes widened slightly when Sonny closed the distance between them. He pulled her off the stool, bringing their bodies together.

"And if I said yes?" Sonny's gaze fell to her supple lips again. He licked his own quickly, the anticipation of what he was about to do making it hard to think. The room around them disappeared and all he saw was her face. He brought his hand to her cheek, caressing it softly.

Carly shut her eyes, choking down the desire he was igniting. "Sonny, people can see us..."

He leaned his forehead against hers. " I don't give a damn who sees." His face rubbed against her skin lightly. He felt her tremble against him. "Tell me to stop and I will." Sonny saw the shake of her head. "Is that a yes or a no?" He grinned, sure of the answer.

"Don't stop." Carly whispered, her hands coming up to his shoulders.

"Ask me what I want." Sonny demanded. He pulled back to look at her face.

"Is that a question or an order?" Carly asked, enjoying the feel of his warm fingers as they traced patterns in her skin.

"It's whatever you want it to be."

Carly opened her eyes. His face was inches from hers. She found the courage to meet his gaze. "What do you want Sonny?"

He was about to answer when he heard a slurred voice behind him.

"Well, if it isn't my tramp of a wife and her newest target."

Carly froze, her eyes on AJ.

Sonny slowly turned around.

AJ wobbled in place, holding a glass in one hand and pointing at Carly with the other one. "So, how much money is she screwing you for, Sonny?"


	12. Chapter 12

**If Only...**

_Chapter 12_

Luke burst from the back office of his club. Claude had pushed the red button that they used when there was a problem with the clientele. He rounded the corner and came to a dead stop. At the bar were his little niece, his ex-pal and the good-for-nothing Quatermaine drunk. He looked from his niece's hurt face to Sonny's livid one. His eyebrow came up at the reaction he was witnessing from Sonny and he decided to stay back for the moment.

Everyone's eyes were trained to the hostile trio at the bar.

AJ smirked at Carly. "So, you couldn't get the flunky in your bed so you go for the Boss man. How very like you Carly." He guzzled from the flask he held in his hand. He'd been watching from the corner booth as Carly threw herself at Sonny. "How long have you been fucking him Carly?"

Luke rushed forward when Sonny grabbed AJ by the collar and hauled him up and off the floor. Before he could reach the bar, Sonny had flung AJ across a nearby table, his fist slamming against AJ's jaw. He saw Sonny swing low hitting AJ in the gut and felt a sick sense of glee to hear a cracking sound.

Sonny couldn't see straight. His vision clouded by a rage he'd never felt before in his life. He made a move to pick AJ up again when he felt a hand on his shoulder pull him away. He turned angrily and met Luke's amused stare. "Sonny, I think he got the point." They glared down at AJ.

"Get out." Sonny seethed. He moved back to the bar, his eyes trained to Carly. She stood frozen in the same spot she'd been in when AJ had arrived. He stopped at her side, stroking her hair gently. "You okay?"

Carly nodded, her eyes still rooted on AJ.

"Look at me."

The soft command in his voice pulled her out of her state and she met his gaze. He could make out the grunts coming from AJ as Luke hauled him off the floor but he kept his eyes on hers. In the next instant, he stiffened hearing AJ's slurred voice.

AJ glared at Carly. "No matter how many designer labels you wear, sweetheart, you'll never be anything but a piece of trash."

Sonny saw Carly visibly flinch as if she'd been struck. He held back the rage that consumed him once more turning calmly to stare at AJ. He walked slowly to the other man. "I will make you pay for this." Sonny stated quietly.

Luke wisely thought it best to escort AJ out of his club before he and Claude found themselves mopping up blood all evening. /_Well Claude anyway./ _Opening the door, Luke shoved AJ forward causing him to stumble and fall to the ground. Luke surveyed the area quickly before bending over AJ.

"You listen to me real good, you scum. You're not welcome here. **Ever. **I catch you anywhere near this place, I'll have you put away for trespassing." Luke squinted at him dangerously. "And if I catch you within 50 feet of my niece or my grandnephew, I'll make sure you regret it. If hear you've insulted her again, and trust me when I say I'll hear about it, Sonny won't have to beat you to a bloody pulp." He leaned in closer. "Cause I promise you, they weren't be any of you left to beat. Sonny can hurt you but I, mi amigo, I can make you disappear. Comprende?"

Without another word, Luke entered his club, leaving a bruised AJ fuming.

Once inside, Luke slowly made his way to Carly and Sonny. "You all right, man?" He asked, pointing to Sonny's hands.

Carly glanced at Sonny's hands, reaching out to softly caress them. "Does it hurt?"

"No."

Luke glanced from Carly to Sonny and back. "Um...you okay?" He threw the question in their general direction.

Carly tore her eyes away from Sonny's hands, smirking at her uncle. "Everything's hunkey-dorey there, Uncle Luke. You know how it is when I'm around. Always creating havoc." Carly slammed her hand on the counter. "Claude, this rounds on me. "

Claude glanced at Luke who in turn looked at Sonny. Sonny's gaze stayed on Carly. He knew she was hurting because of all the things that AJ had said to her. "Carly..."

"Hey, Son. Come on and drink up. Give me a shot of my friend Mr. Cuervo, Claude."

Claude looked at Sonny.

Carly's brow furrowed. "Hey. I want a drink. I'm a little old to need permission there Claude." She refused to look at Sonny, knowing that would be her undoing. She was angry. Angry that AJ had said those things. Angry that it had been in public. Angry that Sonny had been hurt.

Claude set the shot in front of Carly. She stared at it for a second and in one fluid movement, picked it up and gulped in down. The bitter liquid scalded her throat, bringing tears to her eyes. She wheezed slightly, feeling the deliciously numbing burn spread to her chest and her stomach. She slammed the glass down. "Another ."

"Carly, maybe you should take it easy." Luke warned.

Carly smiled stiffly, raising the shot glass in his direction, she winked. "Thanks for the concern there, uncle. I'm a big girl." She gulped it down, this one going more smoothly. "Too bad it couldn't have come about 25 years ago, huh?" She motioned to Claude again. The bartender sighed deeply, refilling her glass.

Carly finished the drink, feeling the dizzying sensation the alcohol produced.

"Okay. How about a nice sour apple martini Claude? You know yours are the best."

Luke leaned in slightly. "Caroline. It ain't the smartest thing to mix drinks."

Carly met Luke's eyes and he looked away from the pain he saw there. "Claude. Give the lady whatever she wants."

Sonny stared at Carly mutely. He could see the pain she was hiding under the surface of the tough veneer she was wearing. He sat quietly at her side, sipping warm beer. He knew better than to try to stop her. She needed to do this. He settled back on the stool watching her down her forth shot. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

"That little bitch." AJ muttered, swilling a drink from his flask. That piece of trash had gotten to him as always. When he's walked into Luke's and seen the way she looked at Sonny, he'd wanted to hurt her. She was supposed to have been his.

"I'll get you Carly, I swear if it's the last thing I do." AJ spoke aloud.

"AJ?"

He whirled to look at Hannah. "What are you doing here?"

Hannah retreated a step at the fevered expression in AJ's eyes. "I was...looking for you." She set her small bag down on the ground. Hannah had been away for a couple of weeks at a training session. She glanced at her watch. If she hurried she would be able to see Sonny.

AJ inhaled slowly, controlling his emotions. "Well, you found me."

The look was gone as quickly as it had come that she was unsure whether she'd seen it all. "What happened?"

AJ snorted. "Your current case and my ex are most definitely fucking each other." He watched her face tighten with rage and he felt that familiar sense of arousal.

"That...little...whore." Hannah started for the steps but AJ blocked her. He reached out and touched her face.

"No." He hissed, grabbing her hand, pulling her aside as a couple strolled by. He followed them until they disappeared from his sight. "There's more. He moved her into the penthouse today."

Hannah inhaled sharply. "What? He never even talked to me about it."

AJ studied her intently. "You can't be this stupid. He doesn't love you. He never did."

"That's not true." Hannah started for the stairs again. She needed to get to Sonny.

"He's sleeping with her Hannah or if he isn't, he wants to. He's probably through with you already.

Hannah shook her head but she knew it was true. She'd felt something change between her and Sonny. This would explain it.

AJ grabbed at her. "We stick with the plan. I'm not satisfied with merely hurting her, Hannah. And now." He touched his bruised face. "I want him destroyed."

"And you think killing Carly will do that to him?" Hannah hated that Sonny felt so much for a woman she despised.

"Oh, yes." AJ recalled the fury in Sonny's eyes earlier. "I most definitely think so."

* * *

_A few hours and several sour apple martini's later..._

Francis glanced up from his paperback, hearing the ding of the elevator. He straightened up, setting the book aside and rounded the corner. He stopped mid-stride, his jaw dropping. Sonny was striding toward him at full speed, his clothes and hair in disarray.

The sight of his usually calm and cool Boss, looking for all the world as he'd been caught in the middle of a hurricane would give anyone pause. But add to that the fact that he was carrying a loudly singing Carly over his shoulder and he was left dumbfounded.

Sonny paused, staring at Francis.

Francis stared back.

"Francis?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you going to open the door?"

"Hey there Frankie!!" Carly bellowed, twisting her neck to get a look at the bodyguard. "How you doing?"

"Hello, Ms. Benson."

"Oh for fuck's sakes, man. Carly. C-A-R-L-Y. Caaarrrlllyy." She giggled. "You ever notice how funny that name sounds. Carly." She continued to repeat the name between bouts of giggles.

Sonny sighed. "Francis."

The guard tore his gaze away from Carly's upside down face and blinked.

"The door, Francis."

"Oh. Of course." Francis reached over and twisted the doorknob. It was locked. "It's locked."

Sonny stamped down his temper. It wasn't Francis fault that Carly was drunker than a skunk. Nor was it his fault that AJ had shown up at Luke's and driven her to it.

"Where are your keys?"

Francis patted his pockets. He knew he had them on him...somewhere.

Sonny gritted his teeth. "Get mine. They are inside my jacket pocket."

Francis hesitated for a moment. Carly was wearing the said jacket and he wasn't sure if it was a good idea to get too near her. He glanced quickly at Sonny's frustrated scowl and decided it was worth the risk. He reached into the pocket, pulling out the keys. He dared a glance at Carly who flashed him a silly grin and waved seductively at him. Francis almost waved back but stopped cold at Sonny's stare. Francis handed him the keys. The ding of a bell broke the silence. They both turned to the elevator when it opened, ignoring the "Weeee!!" from Carly.

Francis breathed out a sigh of relief when Adam came around the corner. "Adam! You're early."

The other guard looked at him strangely. "Um...not really. I was just-"

"Wanted to get a few extra minutes in? No problem." He shoved Adam at the door, almost knocking Sonny over. "Sorry, sir." He glanced at his watch. "Well, look at the time. I got to go. See ya later Adam. Sir. Ms.- Carly." He didn't hide the fact that he was running. When the elevator doors closed, he leaned against the wall. _That was a close call..._

Adam stared at the spot his friend had been standing. _What the heck was that about? _He turned and took his first good look at Sonny. _Ahhhh..._

"Adam?"

Blank stare.

"The door."

"Oh. Right."

Sonny stepped through the open door, turning slightly to call over his shoulder. "I don't care who calls or comes by. I'm not available."

Adam gave him a curt nod and closed the door soundly.

Sonny shifted Carly's weight, steadying her, while he deposited her purse on his desk. He walked to the couch, leaning down and gently setting her on it. Her eyes were closed. Sonny shook himself out of his jacket and called her name.

"Carly."

She didn't move. Sonny smiled softly, thinking how sorry she was going to be about those tequila shots and martinis in the morning. He took a moment to watch her sleep, desire melded with something he refused to name as he looked at her peaceful face. He let his gaze run down the length of her body. The red dress melded to her curves. His eyes fell to her leg that was visible through the slit of the dress. She had great legs...

_Stop it Corinthos...concentrate... _Sonny closed his eyes briefly, summoning all his strength, he leaned over her. The scent of roses teased his senses and he suppressed a groan. He needed to get her to **her** room, into **her** bed and then he had to go take a shower. A long cold shower.

"Sonny?"

His startled eyes met her confused stare. "Hey."

Carly smiled. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to get you to bed." He watched her smile widen and he cleared his throat. "I mean...um..." Sonny eyes scanned the room nervously. This was not going well.

Carly giggled drunkenly, bringing his attention back to her. "I can get up to my room on my own." She eyed him wickedly, her words slurring. "Wouldn't want to make you do anything that made you act like that."

"What?"

"You're nervous."

"I am not." Sonny replied, stepping forward when Carly struggled to right herself. He held her arm as she rose from the couch. Carly wobbled for a second before regaining her balance. She met Sonny's eyes and smiled knowingly, the alcohol giving her the courage she usually lacked when it came to Sonny.

"I make you nervous." She'd always known that he made her react strangely but she could see, now through her alcohol induced haze, that he had a similar reaction.

Sonny rolled his eyes. "Do you always get delusional when you're drunk?" He followed closely behind her as she walked to the stairs; his arms ready to catch her.

She stared at the steps then turned around suddenly, leaning into his open arms, her arms circling his waist. "Sonny."

"Yeah?" Sonny whispered harshly.

"You like me, don't you?"

Sonny stared at her strangely. "What are you...WHAT?"

Carly paused, trying to clearly remember her point. She leaned her face closer now only inches from his. "You like me. Admit it, Corinthos." Even in her stupor, she felt her heart freeze, paused for his response. She was teasing him but his answer was more important to her than he could ever guess. Carly waited for his usual flippant remark. The one that always broke her heart.

He started to protest, started to brush away her question as a joke, when he looked at her. Really looked at her. And deep in her brown eyes, Sonny saw the vulnerability that lay beneath the surface. The pain she always tired to hide. He ran his hand down the side of her face, cupping her cheek. "Yes, Carly. I like you."

Her eyes widened and she whispered an almost inaudible "oh." Her head was swimming and she knew the alcohol must have really been kicking in cause she could have sworn Sonny Corinthos had admitted to liking her without having his arm twisted.

Sonny smiled, dimples peeking out. "Wow. If that's all that I had to do to get you to keep quiet..."

Carly laughed softly and met his eyes. He was grinning at her. That beautiful smile that he saved only for her.

Without waiting to second-guess herself, without thinking about it, Carly pulled him to her, hearing the hitch in his breath when their lips touched. She closed her eyes, her arms coming to warp around his neck.

It took Sonny a moment to register that Carly was kissing him. That her lips were on his. Before he could fully begin to enjoy that fact, she pulled away, looking up at him. Suddenly unsure of what she had done, she stared at him nervously.

"Sonny."

His gaze fell to her parted lips. He licked his own, tasting her there. And wanting more. _Forget common sense, Corinthos..._ His hand delved into her silky hair, holding her gently. Meeting her eyes, he leaned in, an inch of space separating their mouths. His breath caressing her lips.

"I want to taste you."

Carly nodded in acceptance, her eyes falling closed, savoring the warmth of his kiss...


	13. Chapter 13

**If Only... **

_Chapter 13_** (R)**

Everything seemed to disappear. She could feel Sonny's lips on hers. His hands caressing her back. She parted her lips slightly, her body churning, aching , a feral growl escaping Sonny's lips. Her tongue twirled with his, playful, almost shyly.

She pulled at his jacket, stumbling as she stepped back onto the stairs, their mouths never parting.

**Stay with it baby  
And that's all I ask of you  
And I know that someday  
You won't remember  
The way that this moment feels to you**

Sonny's hands delved into her hair, pressing her mouth closer, harder, into his. He followed her lead, his half-opened eyes watching her face. Delicious. That was the only thought in his head. That and wanting. Needing. Like he'd never before. He wanted her. Now. His teeth scraped her lower lip, sucking gently. Carly shuddered and he pulled her into him, closing any distance between them.

**Don't let it go  
Don't turn your back on what you think you know  
You never know you know  
Don't leave it alone  
Cause I need you to cling to  
Cause you are my kind  
You're all that I want  
Here in this life  
Until we are gone**

Sensations.

Sonny's hair in her hands. Silk. The drugging taste of his mouth. Like brandy-wine. Warmth radiating from his fingers sending sparks of desire shooting through her.

That's all she felt. She couldn't think straight with his hands moving down her back. His mouth devouring hers. His body solid and hard on hers. Everything seemed to lose focus. All she knew was Sonny...touching her, wanting her, loving her. She felt the last step and pulled him up, turning them towards the wall.

**Our breath and our skin  
Our hearts and our minds  
They're one and the same  
You are my kind  
**

Sonny felt his back hit something hard. Carly fumbled with shirt, licking, sucking all the while. His lips nipped at her lips, her neck, her ear. She found that sensitive spot in his neck and he jumped, his breath hitching. Carly pulled back, a wicked grin on her face. Sonny stomach trembled, desire mingling with fear. "Carly..."

"Shh." She pressed her fingers to his lips, focusing on them as she did. "Kiss me."

**Well call on me baby  
If you should ever need someone  
To help get your head straight**  
I'**ll be your resident all night  
Sure am glad just having you around  
Well all that I know  
When you find love you never let it go  
You never know you know  
**

Carly grinned as Sonny's mouth crashed into hers. She loosened her hold on his shirt flaps, pushing the shirt off his shoulders, her hands hungry to touch his skin. Sonny pushed from the wall, guiding her down the hall. His hands held her steady, resting on her sides. She brought her legs up, wrapping them around his waist.

**Without you I'm lost  
I get scattered  
I'm shattered  
Cause you are my kind  
You're all that I want  
Here in this life  
Until we are gone  
**

Sonny kicked his door open, keeping Carly wrapped around him and his mouth on hers. He didn't want to lose contact for a second. He needed her. In his arms. In his hands. On his lips. He brought her down to the bed, falling on her gently.

She tasted so good. So sweet.

So damn right.

**Our breath and our skin  
Our hearts and our minds  
They're one and the same  
Cause you are my kind  
**

Carly couldn't breath. The room spun and she felt Sonny's hands under her shirt, shivered when they kneaded her breasts gently. Her breathing labored, the pleasure mounting, consuming. She opened her eyes, trying to focus on his face.

"Sonny..."

His face came into view and she careessed it softly. He seemed to be fading in and out of the light.

"I like the way you make me feel."

**We're one and the same  
You are my kind**  
**Don't let it go  
Don't turn your back on what you think you know  
You never know you know  
**

Sonny grinned, kissing her mouth once, twice. "I like the way you make me feel too, sweetheart." He pulled back to look into her eyes. "You make me..." Sonny stopped abruptly, his brow furrowing.

"Carly, honey, are you okay?"

He steadied her face to study her. Her eyes looked unfocued and glazed.

She smiled sleepily at him. "I feel good." She snuggled into the blankets, her head on his pillow. "You..." Her breathing steadied and it took Sonny a moment to realize she was asleep.

**Don't leave it alone  
Cause I need you to cling to**  
**Cause you are my kind  
You're all that I want  
Here in this life  
Until we are gone  
**

He stared in disbelief. She's fallen asleep on him. Granted she'd had more to drink than any man could have handled but that didn't make his bruised ego feel better.

His head fell into his hands. He wasn't certain whether he wanted to laugh or cry. Hell, if he sat there he was bound to do both. He brought his head up, rubbing his eyes, he looked down at her. Blonde hair on his stain sheets. There was an image he wasn't going to forget soon.

Sighing, he pulled the sheet over her tantilizing...

"Sonny."

**Our breath and our skin  
Our hearts and our minds  
They're one and the same  
Cause you are my kind**

He froze, eyes darting to her face. She was asleep. Why was she... He watched the smile form on her face.

She was dreaming.

About him.

Carly sighed deeply, the smile staying firmly in place.

Sonny groaned. Life just wasn't playing fair.

Carly groaned in return, turning to face his way, and he jerked from the bed. He was liable to jump on a sleeping, drunk woman. He paced the floor, darting looks at his bed. Damn but she was beautiful.

_Breathe Corinthos._

**I love and our life  
My heart and my soul  
I need you tonight  
Your love makes me whole**

From across the room, he roamed her face, his eyes studying the length of her on his bed. She looked good there. Like she belonged there.

He ran his hands through his hair, taming the curls that Carly's hands had mussed.

Something had happened tonight that Carly hadn't understood. From the moment she'd kissed him, he was lost. In her. In his need. Every single feeling he'd tried to ignore, every need she aroused in him came tumbling out. He wasn't sure if that was a good or bad.

He knew he wanted her. Not just as his friend. Not just as his lover.

He wanted **her**. Every part of her.

And he was going to make sure she belonged to him, Jason be damned. He loved her. She was his. Period.

**And it's all I can stand  
Until you come home  
I need you tonight  
Cause you are my kind  
**

Sonny started, surprised at himself. He'd known for awhile. He snorted, shaking his head. /_A long while.../ _

He loved her. Sonny Corinthos was in love with Carly Benson.

He waited for the lightening, the earth to open up and swallow him whole, some sort of sign that the end was near.

Nothing.

He was in love with Carly.

A small smile played on his lips. He wasn't afraid. Heck, he wanted to shout it to the world.

Sonny glanced over at her sleeping form. Maybe not yet though. He had to do was make sure she loved him in return. And he would. He was going to make her so happy that any other man was going to pale in comparison. Determined, he walked to the bed, leaning down to kiss her forehead softly.

Grabbing his robe off the headboard, he walked into the hall, closing the door quietly.

He was in love with Carly.

God **definitely** had a sense of humor.

**I need you tonight  
Cause you are my kind  
Oh, oh, oh ,oh you are my kind  
Oh, oh, oh ,oh you are my kind****  
**

_Lyrics: You Are My Kind by Santana feat. Seal_


	14. Chapter 14

**If Only... **

_Chapter 14_

Bright.

Loud.

Fuzzy.

These thoughts registered in Carly's head as she struggled to consciousness. She opened her eyes a fraction of an inch and groaned at the blinding light that filtered in from her window.

"Jesus."

The sound of her voice rang in her ears. She forced her head under the covers, shutting her eyes tightly. Her body protested at the sudden movement and rebelled with a wave of dizziness. "Oh man." Once under the safety of darkness, she allowed her mind to begin working. She searched the images in her head, desperately trying to remember why she felt like crap.

She **thought** there'd been a bar. Maybe Luke's. Carly brought a shaky hand to her head. She **knew **there'd been drinks.

_Okay. Think Benson, think._

Wrestling with the blanket, she pulled her head out from under it, half covering her eyes with her hand. She looked around the room.

She was in **her** room. That was good. She dared a glance to the to other side of the bed.

"Thank you, God." She sighed in relief to see it empty. She closed her eyes again. Someone had carried her into the penthouse. She remembered warm hands, a deep voice calling her name.

A pair of dark beautiful eyes flashed into her mind. _Sonny._

Her eyes popped open. "Oh God. What the hell did I do?" She threw back the covers, standing. Forcing the nauseous turn in her stomach away, she braced herself with a hand to the wall, slowly making her way to the door. Stopping for a moment, she opened her nightstand, foraging intently.

Where the hell did she put her sunglasses? She shook her head slightly, ignoring the sharp stabbing at her temples. Probably in her purse that was sitting on the table. Downstairs.

"Damn it." She slammed it shut and swallowed a groan. "That was stupid, Benson." Holding on to the wall, she again moved towards the door. Once she reached it, she leaned her forehead against the cool wood, taking in a few deep breaths. Her hand twisted the doorknob repeatedly. It wouldn't budge, and she grunted, pulling hard. She cringed at the pain the effort caused her.

Finally, the door swung open and she clung to the side, taking a moment to recover her balance. She moved slowly down the hall and to the stairs. Her head was pounding as she reached the top. She could hear movement and she cursed whoever was making the noise. Bastards.

Gripping the railing, she gingerly descended the stairs. When her feet were planted firmly on the first landing, she raised her eyes to the room.

Leticia glanced up as she walked out of the kitchen and stopped short at the sight before her. "Good God, Carly."

Carly pointed at her. "Don't say a word."

"Other than you look like hell, I wasn't going to say a thing."

Carly glared at her through squinting eyes. She had a few choice words of her own for her dear friend. She made her way to the table, rummaging through her purse, ignoring Leticia's gaze. She found her glasses and shoved them over her eyes. Much better.

She lowered her aching body onto the couch, leaning her head against its back. "What the hell did I drink?"

"Well, hello Sleeping Beauty."

"Shouldn't it be more like drunken beauty?" Leticia joked.

"Very true. Woman, you can pack in the booze, let me tell you."

Carly covered her ears, falling onto the cushions in the fetal position. "Could you two please not yell."

Sonny grinned at Leticia and silently nodded to the stairs. She grinned back and headed up to check on Michael.

"Is Michael up yet?" Her voice muffled by the cushions.

Sonny reached her side, setting the tray he'd been taking up to her on the table. Bending down, he brushed her hair away from her face. "He's been up for a while. He asked for you and I told him you weren't feeling too well today."

Carly shook her head. "I should go see him, but I'd probably scare him with the way I must look."

Sonny laughed softly. "It's not that bad."

Carly pulled her head up to stare at him. Though he couldn't really see with her sunglasses on, he was sure she was looking at him in that _will-you-get-real_ Carly way.

"Okay. Maybe a little scary." He conceded, his eyes going to her sleep-ruffled hair. He smoothed it down on her scalp. She muttered something about never drinking again.

"Come here." He pulled her to a sitting position and took the seat next to her. Placing a pillow on his lap, he motioned for her to lie down. She hesitated for a second, but her spinning head forced her to take the offer. She snuggled against it, sighing as Sonny's hand caressed her hair softly.

Sonny leaned over her slightly, reaching for the cloth on the tray. He pulled the glasses off her face, ignoring her muttered curse, and gently patted her skin with the cloth.

"It's warm." Carly purred, enjoying the heat on her throbbing head.

"Yeah. I kept it on the warmer." Sonny concentrated on the task at hand. He shifted, ignoring his very painful need, and hoped to God Carly wouldn't notice it. He heard her snort and paused on her cheek. "What?"

Carly opened her eyes. "You're the only person I know who **has** a towel warmer."

He blinked at her. "You gonna to let me do this or you going to make fun of me?"

"Both." Carly's gaze fell to the tray. "Is that for me?"

"Yep." Sonny reached the crook of her neck, concentrating on her jawline, wiping her skin slowly.

Carly's skin tingled under Sonny's touch and she lifted her chin, allowing him better access to her. Hot. His skin was so hot. Callused fingers rough against her skin. She could feel the heat coursing through her. Sensations everywhere. She watched him from under her eyelashes. He seemed determined in his chore.

Sonny's fingers skimmed her skin, feeling her chest rise and fall under them. He heard her breath hitch and he stopped, looking into her eyes.

Breathing had become difficult. Almost impossible.

Carly's eyes widened as Sonny leaned over her and she licked her dry lips, her mouth parting-

"Do want the tea or the orange juice?"

"Huh?" She stared at him in confusion.

Sonny cleared his throat. "With your aspirin. Orange juice or tea?" He lifted his hand, showing her the tablets he held in them and motioning to the tray.

"Oh," Carly responded, breathless. She moved off his lap, stopping when the room began to spin again.

"Whoa." Sonny held her arm, steadying her. "You all right?"

Carly nodded slightly, her head falling into her hands. "I will be." She glanced sideways when Sonny nudged her arm. Taking the aspirin, she chose the juice, gulping it down carefully. Her stomach protested momentarily, then eased with the coolness of the drink.

Sonny took the time to steady his breathing, calm his nerves. He needed to get under control. Carly shifted next to him, her bare shoulder brushing against his, and he jumped slightly. She gave him a funny look, but he pointed at her glass and she took another sip.

"You feeling a little better?"

Carly shook her head. "Not really, but at least I don't feel that my head is going to completely fall off."

"That's good."

Setting the glass on the table, she turned to him, picking at her nails. "What…I mean, I didn't…" She glanced at his face, seeing the intent look on his face. "What did I do?"

Sonny frowned. "Nothing. What made you think you did something?"

"Well, it's obvious I got drunk."

Sonny brushed her hair off her shoulder, and Carly noticed that one of his hands was covered with a bandage. She grabbed it firmly. "What happened?"

Sonny tried to pull to it out of her grasp but Carly held steady. "I'm fine, Carly."

"How'd that happen?"

Sonny sighed. "I bruised it against AJ's face."

Carly froze. "What?"

"Honey, listen, it's all right."

Carly shook her head. "No. It was because of me, wasn't it?" She lightly skimmed her fingers over the bandage. "I'm sorry."

"Hey." Sonny lifted her chin, bending to meet her eyes. "It wasn't your fault. I kicked AJ's ass because he deserved it. Period."

"But if it wasn't…"

"No. Shhh. Come here." Sonny leaned back, pulling her head to his shoulder, his hand playing with the strands of her hair. "AJ insulted you and that made me angry. **I** did this, not you. Okay?"

Carly's vision became hazy, tears forming. "Why?"

Sonny's chin rested on her head. "What do you mean?"

Carly pulled back, her eyes going past his shoulder, afraid to look into his. "Why did you defend me? Why would you do that?"

Sonny waited a heartbeat. It would be so easy to say it. To let her know how he felt. His gaze fell on her hand that played with her necklace and then to her eyes. They held that frightened look she kept hidden from most people, and he knew she wasn't ready to hear what he wanted to say. He reached for her hand and squeezed it firmly. "Because you're one of the people I care about most. I never want to see you hurt."

Carly met his eyes and smiled brightly. "Thank you, Sonny." She touched his hand once more. "I never want to see you hurt either, you know? I care about you too much to let anyone hurt you." She hugged him quickly, barely giving him time to enjoy her in his arms before pulling away. She touched his cheek then frowned, pulling it away. "Sonny…"

Sonny studied her as she bit her lip, nervously rubbing her hands. "What?"

"We…I didn't do anything embarrassing, did I? Like throw myself at anyone?" _Or you. _

Sonny touched her face, locking her gaze in his.

_Sonny felt his back hit something hard. Carly fumbled with his shirt, licking, sucking all the while. His lips nipped at her lips, her neck, her ear. She found that sensitive spot in his neck and he jumped, his breath hitching. Carly pulled back, a wicked grin on her face. Sonny stomach trembled, desire mingling with fear. "Carly..."_

_"Shh." She pressed her fingers to his lips, focusing on them as she did. "Kiss me."_

He smiled, reassuring her quietly. "Trust me. You didn't throw yourself at anyone."

Carly grinned, sighing. Grateful she hadn't done anything to screw up her relationship with Sonny, she leaned her head against his shoulder again, her hand rubbing his chest sweetly. "That's cause my hero was there." She looked up at him, catching his eye. " You'd never let anything happen to me, right?" Her arms laced through his and she closed her eyes.

Sonny kissed her head gently. "I'll always take care of you, Caroline. Always."

* * *

_Somewhere on Cortland St._

"I'm telling you, it's harder than we thought to get to him. " Larkin paced the small room he occupied. The hand that held his cellphone shook visibly. "Corinthos isn't as easy as you think he is to take down."

"Are you telling me you can't do this, Agent Larkin?" The man who sat in his plush office thousands of miles away held his hand up, studying his hands carefully. Well-trimmed, clean hands. No one could guess how much blood they had spilled. He liked it that way. "Because if that's the case I can find someone else to do it."

Larkin swallowed nervously. "No, sir. I can do this. Just give me a little more time. The plan was working perfectly, but there was an unexpected glitch."

Crossing his legs, the man frowned. "You know I don't like excuses."

"It's not. He's become distracted by a woman."

"Woman?" He paused, glancing at his associate across the room. "What woman?"

"Her name is Caroline Benson, but don't worry sir, we're taking care of her." Larkin tapped his fingers against the table, waiting for a response.

The man motioned to his associate, beckoning him to sit. "Well, you make sure you do. And the next time I hear from you, make sure you have some good news for me." He disconnected, looking across the desk to his enforcer. "Marco, I need you to find out everything you can about a Caroline Benson. Where she came from, who she sees, her schedule, what she eats. What she means to Corinthos. Everything. "

Marco nodded at his boss. "And then what, sir?"

He folded his hands under his chin. " Well, Marco, if she's of any importance to Corinthos, I want you to make sure you get rid of her. Permanently."


	15. Chapter 15

**

* * *

**

If Only...

_Chapter 15_

Hannah glanced behind her for what felt like the hundredth time. She knew that meeting AJ on the docks in broad daylight was a stupid idea. If Sonny found out what she was doing God only knew what he would do to her.

She turned at the sound of footsteps and frowned. "What the hell took you so long?" She stared at his bruised face. "Jesus, what happened?"

AJ sent her a furious stare. "Blame it on your ex."

"He's not my ex." Hannah seethed.

"Oh come on, Hannah. Carly is living with him. He has no use for you."

Hannah averted her gaze looking out over the docks. "There has to be a perfectly reasonable explanation for that-"

"Wait. You haven't gone to see him yet since you got back, have you?" Laughter bubbled in his throat. "You're scared of what he's going to say."

"I am **not**! I just haven't had a chance to see him. I was planning on going today but as you can see I did you a favor and met you here." She squelched the doubts that surfaced whenever she spoke with AJ. Sonny loved her, she knew that. "You're wrong."

She ignored his sigh and glared at his profile. "What the hell am I doing here? Are you going to tell me or do I have to guess?"

AJ turned his head, his eyes falling to a point past her shoulder. She noticed not for the first time how dull and empty his eyes were. The only time she saw any emotion in them was when he talked of revenge. She watched them spark to life as he spoke.

"Your partner contacted me yesterday. They're ready to make their move against Sonny."

"WHAT?" Hannah mouth gaped open. "BUT I thought...I mean..."

"It's time Hannah"

Her mind whirled with a thousand thoughts. She could still get Sonny out of this. God knew she didn't want **him** hurt. She just wanted the little no good whore away from him. Hannah smiled. Once that happened, she was sure she would be able to get him to see things her way. She could offer to leave this life behind and they could start fresh. Just the two of them.

"He loves her you know."

Hannah sent him a horrified look. "What?"

"You heard me." AJ replied so matter-of-factly that Hannah smirked. He was trying to get a rise out of her. That was all. He wanted to see how far he could push her.

"Please. If you believed that you wouldn't be so calm. You'd be ranting and drinking and losing control."

She shivered, her angry smile falling at the cold glance he gave her. His calmness frightened her more than anything else. It was deadly.

"I think revenge is best served cold, Hannah. I want Sonny to suffer." His eyes moved over the length of her body. "Why do you think I fucked you? Trust me, it wasn't because of your skills. I did it to hurt Sonny."

She took a step back as he moved closer, her eyes darting around, looking for escape. He was insane and she wondered why she hadn't seen it before. Her eyes closed and she held a breath as he began to circle her. "Think about this Agent Scott. If Sonny cared about you in any way, I'd have killed you by now just to see the look on his face."

Hannah could feel him close to her back. She suppressed the need to shudder when he licked her neck. His hot breath caressed her face. "He doesn't care about you. He cares about her. He wants her. Which is why I'm going to make sure that he can't have her. Ever."

She breathed deeply when he stepped away and opened her eyes to stare at him. "You're sick."

He smiled at her. "Don't be late tonight."

"You're wrong." She told his retreating back.

"Sweetheart, you've been replaced. Deal with it." AJ threw over his shoulder as he climbed the steps.

"Go to hell."

"Already there."

* * *

Elizabeth glanced up quickly at the sound of the door opening, stopping in mid-wipe to stare at a laughing Sonny and Carly enter Kelly's. She'd never seen Sonny laugh before. Ever.

Carly walked up to the counter nodding politely at her. Elizabeth smiled. "Hi, Carly. Sonny. What can I get you?"

"Coffee for the Godfather over there and I'll have a couple chocolate doughnuts."

"Give her some milk with that." Sonny requested, sending Carly his patented "Do as I say" look.

He was lucky she found it just adorable the way he thought he could control her. She smiled sweetly at him and without pausing she turned back to the counter and making a face said, "God NO. Let me have a Coke." She rolled her eyes at Sonny so Elizabeth could see and silently began counting down with her fingers. Five... four... three...two...

"You trying to go into sugar shock, Carly?"

_It never fails._

"Gimme a break, Son. Two little doughnuts will hardly kill me."

"Uh-huh. And the Coke?"

"If I don't get some caffeine in my system soon it ain't going to be pretty, man." She sipped at her soda, taking a moment to cherish the feel of the sugar and the acid taste burning her throat. She caught Sonny's disgusted look and turned to him. "Besides shouldn't you be encouraging caffeine consumption, Sonny? I mean you are the Coffee King of the Eastern Seaboard." She pointed her finger at him. "It good for business to have addicts like me. Keeps you in the green."

Sonny rubbed one hand over his mouth. "See there's just one problem with that little theory."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"What?"

Several patrons had stopped eating to watch the two, fascinated by the exchange. Elizabeth and Penny shared a look and smiled when one of the customers mumbled, "Is it me or is it getting hot in here?" They all turned back to the couple.

"The problem is I don't have to deal with **those **addicts daily." He leaned on the counter bringing his face close to hers. "I'd like to make sure you don't have too much extra energy. It helps from having to stop you and one of your plans."

Carly narrowed her eyes. "Is that so?"

"Yep."

"Listen here, Mr. Corinthos, my plans are flawless."

"True. It's your execution that sucks."

Elizabeth mouth twitched, struggling to keep her laughter bottled in. Damn but those two had it bad.

"I'm just saying I'd rather you be more productive in a way that doesn't end up getting me arrested or causing labor disputes."

"Hey, that was a tactical error."

"Regardless. I think you need a hobby or something."

Carly grinned at him, standing to face his seat. She leaned into his space. "Oh yeah. What did you have in mind?"

Sonny pulled her closer, his eyes falling to her mouth. He leaned in, male pride swelling at the catch of her breath. "I'm thinking...you'd make an excellent student."

Carly stared at his mouth, his words taking a minute to register. She leaned away and looked into his amused eyes. "Student?"

"Yeah, you know." Sonny pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, stopping to caress her face softly. "School. Classes. Books."

Carly took a step away, sipping at her now watered down soda, needing a moment to calm the butterflies in her stomach and the ache his words has caused. He wanted to send her to school.

She turned to him. "Are you saying you want to pay for me to go to school?" She asked softly, disbelief apparent in her eyes.

"Of course."

Carly glanced down at the floor, her voice breaking. "Why?"

Sonny's teasing smile fell and he felt a deep sadness overwhelm him. It bothered him that she couldn't see her own value. He brought her chin up and stared into her eyes. "Because I think you're smart and I know you want to go back to school." He took her hands in his, their fingers playing lightly with each other. "Or if you want to get right to it I could buy you a company."

Her eyes widened. "Buy...have you lost your mind?"

Sonny chuckled. "It seems that way, doesn't it?"

"Why would you even..."

"Because you're my friend."

"Yeah but..."

"Carly."

Carly stopped to stare into his piercing eyes. "What?"

"I know you can do anything. I believe in you, Caroline."

Elizabeth looked away feeling as if she was intruding on some sacred moment. Turning to add up the checks she heard Penny sigh deeply. She glanced at the other girl who was trying not to stare at Sonny and Carly. Elizabeth nudged her and Penny grinned. "Sorry. I just went to a happy place."

She laughed and nodded. "I don't blame you." She turned her head for a quick glance and caught Sonny on the his cell. Well, so much for romantic moments.

"Ok. Benny. I'll be right there." Sonny closed his phone with a snap. "I got to go."

"Is everything okay?"

Sonny kissed her cheek, nodding. "Yep. I'll see you later tonight."

Carly studied his eyes seeing the lie in them. "Be careful."

"I will." He glanced over at Elizabeth. "Liz, are there anymore of those doughnuts?"

Elizabeth paused for a moment and shook her head. "Nope. Carly snagged the last two."

"Good." Sonny replied, snatching the plate away from Carly and heading out. He threw a grin at her from the door. "Have a muffin."

Carly stood, mouth gaping open. "That...you're a jerk, Corinthos!" She crossed her arms and turned back to Elizabeth. "I can't believe he did that."

"I can." Elizabeth laughed, reaching under the counter and pulling out another plate with a doughnut. "That's why I lied."

Carly grinned. "I may have to start liking you, Lizzie."

"Well let's not get carried away."

Carly nodded. "Good point." She bit into her doughnut with fervor, moaning when the chocolate hit her tongue. "These are **so** good." Carly glanced at Elizabeth who was smiling at her. "What?"

"Nothing. I just never, you know, saw Sonny like that before."

Carly paused. "Like what?"

"I don't know, happy, I guess."

"You think he's happy?" She asked skeptical. She made Sonny a lot of things but...happy?

"Yeah." Elizabeth wiped at the counter and she spoke. "I guess it's working out for you two then?"

Carly nodded. "Yes it is."

"Surprised?"

Carly laughed. "That Sonny and I living together hasn't lead to homicide? Yeah."

"What?!"

Elizabeth looked up at the angry question and watched as Carly turned to face a furious Jason.

"When the hell did you start living with Sonny, Carly?"


	16. Chapter 16

**If Only...**

_Chapter 16_

"They said they wanted 5000 pounds, and when we agreed to the order they suddenly realized it was too...Benny...he's doing it again."

Benjamin Abrams - Benny to those he was close to - glanced up from his paperwork at the sound of Johnny's irritated voice. His gaze fell on his boss lost in his own thoughts, an occurrence that was happening more and more often.

Benny held back a smile. He couldn't blame the man after all. He knew how Sonny felt about Carly even if Sonny didn't know. You could see it in his eyes. He loved the girl, and Benny was willing to bet that she loved him back. If he were more of a romantic like his Leah, he would have called it fate.

Whatever it was, he was glad that Sonny had found some happiness and prayed that he would be allowed to keep it.

Johnny rolled his eyes and loudly cleared his throat. "Sir?"

Sonny blinked, his eyes focusing on Johnny, and he looked from him to Benny. "Ah. Yeah. I...what was that?"

"I was saying..."

Benny cut Johnny off. "Sir, can I make an observation?"

Sonny nodded slowly, cautious. "Sure, Benny."

"Tell her."

Johnny's forehead furrowed in confusion. "What?"

Sonny kept his eyes on Benny. He knew that denying it would be futile. The old man could read him better than his own father could. "I don't think that's an option right now, Benny."

Johnny glanced between the two. "What's not an option?"

Benny inclined his head to look at his notes. "I think it may be your only one, sir. It's time."

"It's too early, Benny."

"Too early for what?" Johnny asked, exasperated.

"It's never too early. But it may become too late. You should take the chance."

"I don't like chances. I want to make sure it's right."

"Huh?"

"Nothing's a sure thing. Everything is a leap of faith, Sonny." Benny rose from his chair, gathering his papers and heading for the door. "Don't let her slip away." He patted a confused Johnny on the shoulders and, without a glance backward, walked out the door.

Sonny stared after the older man a few moments, letting his words sink in. He smiled widely, rising from his chair. "I'm going to be out the rest of the day, Johnny."

Johnny watched as Sonny grabbed his jacket and headed for the exit. He glanced around the now empty room, raising his hands in frustration. "What the hell did I just miss?"

* * *

Carly swallowed hard as she stared at a livid Jason. This wasn't the way she had wanted to tell him. "Jase..."

"What the hell do you mean you're living with Sonny?"

"I...that is..." She couldn't find her voice and she glanced behind her in desperation. Elizabeth met her eyes, sensing Carly's fear, and stepped around the counter. She held her hand up at Jason and blocked his view of Carly, realizing that the other woman probably needed a moment to collect herself.

"Um...listen Jason. Why don't you just give Carly a minute, all right? I'm sure she can explain."

"Fine. What's your explanation, Carly? Is this a new plan? Are you trying to use my best friend to make me jealous? Trying to destroy your life and mine again?"

Carly felt all her fear swept away by anger, her body stiffening with indignity. She hated the way Jason could make her feel. Like she was guilty and needed to defend herself. Or worse yet, that she was helpless.

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at Jason, ready to rebuke him for what he had said. She wasn't one to defend Carly. The woman never seemed to need it. But damned if she was going to stand here and let her idiot friend rip into her.

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

Elizabeth realized the words she had been thinking had been spoken, but not by her. She caught Jason's shocked expression as she turned to look at Carly, who was practically fuming. She glanced between the two friends and stepped quietly out the line of fire. This was none of her business. Besides, she thought as she glanced at Carly's face again, it was way past time Jason faced a few truths.

Carly held her hand up as Jason opened his mouth. "I want you to shut up and listen very carefully, Jason." She took a deep breath, not waiting for him to agree. Holding her hands together in front of her, she looked at her oldest and, for a long time, only friend. "I love you, Jason. I do. You have seen me through some of the worst moments of my life. When I thought I had no one, you were there. We came to rely on each other. To need each other. And I think somewhere along the line we came to expect things from each other."

Jason nodded at her pause, encouraging her to continue. He glanced briefly at Elizabeth, who seemed to find wiping down the counter a fascinating chore. His eyes came back to Carly as she spoke once more.

"You came to expect, I think even want, me to screw up. Not because you wanted to see me do it, but because then it gave you a purpose. If I screwed up then it would be up to you to rescue me. And for a long time I bought into that. I even fed into it. I came to believe that you saving me was what I wanted. That you would one day look at me and see that I was everything." Carly wiped at her eyes, tears she'd realized had fallen wetting her fingertips. She rubbed them into her hands. "But someone made me realize that's not who I am. I'm not Robin. I don't need to be rescued. To be put on some pedestal and treated like a fragile piece of glass. That's not what I want. Someone taught me that I was worth more than I realized. More than just my body or my face. Or my son."

Jason swallowed past the lump his throat. "Sonny."

Carly nodded. "Yeah. Sonny." She laughed lightly. "Shocking, huh?" She looked away for a moment then returned her gaze to his face. "He made me believe in me. That I could do whatever I set my mind to. When I needed someone, he didn't try to save me. He stood by my side and let me save myself. He gave me strength. He was my partner, not my savior, and that's what I want, Jase. Someone who wants me for me and nothing more. Believes the best in me."

Elizabeth stood entranced at Carly's words. There was a joy in her voice, a happiness Elizabeth had never heard before.

Carly stared Jason in the eye. "I'm in love with him, Jason. For everything he sees in me but mostly for everything he can't see in himself. I don't expect you to understand, but I do expect you to respect it." She grabbed her purse and turned toward the exit, calling over her shoulder as she paused at the door. "I am more grateful to you for bringing him to me than you will ever know." She glanced behind her to the counter. "See you, Lizzie."

"Later, Carly."

Jason's eyes followed her out the door and watched as she walked past the window and out of sight. He wasn't quite sure what had happened. Carly believed that she loved Sonny now. From what he knew his best friend hated her. Jason moved to the door. He couldn't let Carly be hurt again. He had to talk sense into her.

"I suggest you leave them be."

He stopped at the sound of Elizabeth's voice. "What?"

"You don't know what's going on, Jason. Just let it alone."

"She's going to get hurt."

"No. You hurt her, Jason. Sonny won't."

Jason cocked his head, anger flashing into his eyes. "How the hell do you know that?"

"Because I have two working eyes, bonehead. I see the way he looks at her. He loves her Jason. I think he has for a long time."

Jason shook his head. "He can't love her. She drives him crazy."

"That's why he loves her. Because she makes him feel...alive, I guess. I don't presume to know anything about Sonny and Carly. All I know is that Carly just admitted to loving Sonny and that Sonny obviously loves her."

"He does?" Jason asked.

Elizabeth stared at him, dumbfounded. "Were you always this stupid and I didn't notice, or is this a new thing?"

* * *

Larkin watched Carly walk out of Kelly's and make her way to the docks. He smirked before pulling his trench coat tighter around him and silently following the beautiful blonde.

Executing his plan would be easier than he thought. Corinthos was too confident and letting his guard on his girlfriend slip. He shook his head as she cut through a dark alley. The girl was either really brave or just dumb as a post. He still wasn't too sure which one it was.

He continued his stalking, taking note of the places she visited and the people she spoke to. She ducked into a nearby building and he cursed under his breath when he realized it was the bar run by her uncle.

He couldn't take the chance that she recognized him and told Corinthos. Then everything would go to shit.

It was best to bide what little time he had and make sure her disappearance was quick and clean.

Glancing around to make sure no one was following, he hailed a nearby taxi, staring at the doorway she'd entered before slipping into the cab. "Port Charles Motel."

He would make his move soon. Very soon.

* * *

_Hours later..._

Carly stepped off the elevator, her hand reaching to her neck to massage the kinks away. She'd had a day from hell and all she wanted was to get home, see her son and her Sonny, and just relax. She should have known her fight with Jason that morning was going to be just the beginning of a bad day.

_Well not all bad..._

She'd admitted to herself and all of Kelly's that she loved Sonny. No one was more surprised by her declaration than she was. But it felt right. She froze in place, staring at the closed door intently. How the hell was she going to face him now that she knew how she felt?

She took two steps away from the entrance, peering around the hallway for an escape. Maybe she could go to her mother's for a little while. She hadn't spoken to Bobbie in ages, and if anyone could help her with all the jumbled and confused feelings she was having it was her mother.

The door opened quickly and she stepped out of the line of sight. She heard the soft click that indicated it had been shut, and after a moment she heard Francis' voice call out to her.

"Are you going to go in anytime tonight, Ms. Benson?"

Carly closed her eyes, feeling the heat rise in her face. It was pathetic enough that she was afraid to go into her own house. Having one of the guards, even if it was a sweetie like Frankie, see her act this strange was just embarrassing. Taking a deep breath, she poked her head around the corner. "Hey there, Frankie."

"Hello, Ms. Benson." He glanced at her wrinkled and dusty clothes, mussed hair, and tired expression. "Um...did...are you all right?"

Carly stared at him in confusion and followed his pointed finger to her clothes. "Oh! Yeah. I'd forgotten I look like a bag lady."

"I wouldn't go that far, Ms. Benson." Francis held back a laugh at her doubtful expression. "Can I ask what happened?"

Carly made a face. "My uncle, that's what happened. I went to see the man about a job, you know. Nepotism and all that good stuff...or does that just apply with fathers and daughters...anyway, I want a part time job while I wait to start taking classes." She paused for a breath and Francis allowed his smile to peek out. She sounded so proud when she'd said that.

"So I ask my dear uncle if he would like to be a better human being and give his flesh and blood a chance to make some money. He tells me if I can prove that I had it in me to work at a club like Luke's he'd hire me. Of course I didn't mention I'd been bartending since I was 16. But see that was silly me cause I had assumed he wanted me to make him some drinks. Something along those lines." She leaned against the wall folding her arms across her chest. "BUT nooooo... bastardo tio of mine had a different plan. He made me clean out his basement. Have you ever been down there, Francis?" She didn't wait for a response. "Of course you haven't. It's a dungeon. I've never seen so many spiders in one place in my life!"

Francis stared in awe. He'd never met anyone who talked as much as Carly could.

Carly shook her head, dust falling from her hair. "But I showed him. I cleaned his stupid basement and he had to give me a job. Of course I made a few changes to the bottles in his wine cellar. You know, if you're patient enough, those labels are quite easy to peel off." She grinned widely at Francis. "Now I am fully employed at Luke's." She closed her mouth with a snap. "Oh man. You didn't want to hear all that."

"It's okay, Ms. Benson."

"Carly, Frankie. Remember? Anyway, you didn't need to hear about my whole miserable day." She pushed herself off the wall and stood in front of the door. "Thanks for listening, though. I just want to hide under my covers. This day is a total write off."

Francis smiled over at her, reaching for the door. "You never know. It could still turn out to be a good day." He opened the door wide for her to enter.

Carly laughed softly. "Doubt it. I..." Her words stuck in her throat when she glanced into the room. "Oh...my."

Candlelight glowed warmly in the dimmed room, and a lit fire gave the room an intimate feel. Carly's eyes fell to the set table and she smiled. She glanced at Francis, who winked as he closed the door, leaving her standing in shocked awe.

Walking over to the table, she caressed the surface softly. She was going to cry. She knew it.

"How was your day?"

She smiled at the teasing note in his voice and turned to reply. Her mind halted to a stop. She'd forgotten how good he looked in a tux. "Wow."

Sonny dimpled, spreading his arms out. "I take it you like."

Carly nodded, grinning. "I like."

"Good." He noticed her appearance and fought a smile. "What happened?"

Carly groaned. "Long story. Let's just say I'm having a bad day."

Sonny gently brushed her hair away from her forehead. He leaned in and kissed her forehead softly. "Maybe I can make it better." He opened his arms, inviting her into his warmth.

Carly stepped into his arms and smiled against his shoulder. "Maybe you can."


	17. Chapter 17

**If Only...**

_Chapter 17_

Carly sighed and leaned back from Sonny's embrace. His arms held her at the waist lightly and he reached up with his hand to brush her hair away from her shoulder. He stared at her, motioning to the table behind them. "What do you think?"

"It's beautiful. I love it."

His eyes lit up at her compliment and Carly smiled up at him, softly pinching his cheek. "What's the occasion, anyway?"

Sonny grinned, covering her hand with his, and he brought their joined hands to his side. "Do I need a reason to do something nice for you?" He tilted his head, his eyes falling to her mouth and back to her eyes.

"Nooo. But, you know, this isn't exactly common with you."

"What? Dinner?"

She slapped at his chest playfully, resting her hands on his waist and holding back a shudder as his gently stroked her back. She couldn't think straight when he was so close. Her eyes closed involuntarily and she missed the flash of desire cross Sonny's face.

Damn, she was beautiful. It hurt to look at her sometimes, he thought, as he tamped down his sudden need to taste her. _Easy does it, Corinthos. _He didn't want to scare her away and he knew if he pushed he would. He wanted her to be open to him tonight. Open to what he had to say to her. He knew if he forced her to go too fast she'd run away.

Sonny pulled away, keeping his hand on her waist as an anchor. "Like I said, I just wanted to do something nice for you."

Carly smiled softly at him, her hand reaching out to touch his hair. "Well, thank you." She glanced down at her clothes. "Um...maybe I should take a quick jump in the shower and change." She eyed his tuxedo and flinched. "No maybe about it."

Sonny released his hold on her reluctantly, taking two steps back. Her mention of a shower brought images to his head that were better off ignored. "You look beautiful to me."

Looking down at herself, then back at him, she smirked, her hands crossed at her chest. "You've got me, Corinthos. No need to use that charm here." He threw her an annoyed look before turning back to the table.

"I'm just stating the truth, Benson. But if you want to change, I'll wait."

Carly blinked, not sure what she had said that had made him react that way. "Okay. Well, I'll be down in a jiff." She ignored his snort of disbelief and ran up the stairs.

Sonny waited until the sounds had faded and turned to the door, pulling it open sharply. "You got everything, right?"

Francis nodded, hiding his grin at seeing his boss in such a state of nervousness. "Yeah. And Johnny just checked in. He said that Michael is happy playing with Lucas, and Leticia is thrilled to get to spend the night at the Port Charles Hotel." Francis looked thoughtful. "Come to think of it, he sounded a little happy about that too."

Sonny raised an eyebrow and stared at his bodyguard. "Johnny...and Leticia?"

Francis raised his hands up. "I didn't say that."

The elevator doors opened and Adam stepped out. Sonny watched Francis' face lit up suddenly and he blinked. Shaking his head, he decided he'd rather not know. Adam held a bag out to Sonny and, with a quick glance and smile at Francis he took his position near the door, not saying a word.

Sonny smirled at Francis who simply looked back at him. "What?"

"Nothing." Sonny studied the contents in the bag and smiled in satisfaction. "Good job, Adam."

"Thank you, sir."

He looked up at the two bodyguards. "Unless it's an emergency with Michael, I don't want any interruptions." His eyes went from one to the other. "No one, and I mean NO ONE, gets in here tonight. Got that?"

Two amused stares met his and Sonny shut the door quickly on them. God knew he had to love this woman to risk ridicule from his men. He looked past the stairs as he moved to the couch. He rubbed at his neck trying to loosen the tension there. She would have reached her room before no-…

"Oh!"

He heard the delighted, if muffled, yelp and smiled, feeling the tension dissipate as he did.

From the sounds of it, tonight was off on the right foot.

* * *

Carly stared at the mound of red material spread out on her bed and approached it slowly. She had been so shocked to see it that she'd let out a happy yell. Reaching the bed, she pulled the glittering mass of crimson into her hands, feeling the soft satin material beneath her fingers.

She grinned and turned to the mirror, holding the dress up to her body. It fell to just below her knees. On the right side, a slit cut up to below her thigh kept the dress from being too demure. The shoulder straps were an inch of cloth and the bodice fell into a V at her chest.

Classy, yet sexy. Just like the man who'd picked it.

Smiling, she looked at the floor and found a matching pair of shoes at the foot of the bed. Shaking her head, she gathered them up and her eyes caught the glint of white on her nightstand. Gently placing the dress and shoes on her bed, she walked over to it.

Her heart thumped in her chest seeing the jewelry box with the Wyndhams insignia adorning it. There was a small slip of paper lying next to it with her name scribbled across it in Sonny's writing. She opened it slowly, smiling as she read.

_Saw this and thought of you. S._

Snapping the box open, she gasped, staring at the small diamond earrings and matching necklace. Her head felt light and the room began to spin. It was too much. Taking a step to her bed, she plopped down of the peach comforter trying to understand what was happening. Why would he do this for her?

_"Carly?" he said her name softly._

_Carly had held herself together, not allowing any of her fear or pain to show. She just wanted to hide away and the best way she knew how was to stop feeling. She wanted to be numb. But then she heard Sonny's voice say her name so gently, she felt the barriers break and the tears begin to fall. _

_Sonny watched her shaking shoulders and heard her heaving sobs. They tore at his heart and he moved closer to her. He pulled her into his arms on reflex and smoothed her hair back from her face, "It's alright, honey." Her crying became louder and she started shaking uncontrollably. He pulled her into his lap, one hand at the small of her back, the other still stroking her hair. Her sobs turned into small hiccupping noises and the shaking subsided but they stayed that way until they reached Harborview Towers. _

_When the car stopped, Carly turned her face up to Sonny, and he gently wiped the moisture from her eyes. She looked away quickly but stayed on his lap. He stared down at the top of her head. _

_"I'm sorry."_

_"Nothing to be sorry about."_

Tears filled her eyes as memories of him flashed across her mind. He was always taking care of her... Ever since that night, something had changed for them.

_Carly's breath caught in her throat when Sonny made his way to her side. He sat on the edge of the bed, tugging at her arm. Carly let him pull her up on the bed. They sat facing each other, his hand coming to trace the bruises on face. Memories of his mother rushed into his head and he felt that same impotent rage now that he did then. He couldn't do anything to make it go away. Taking a few strands of her hair in his fingers, he let it sift through them slowly. "I'm sorry." _

_Carly looked at him in surprise, not sure what he was talking about. "For what?" _

"_For not being able to help." _

_She shook her head, the hair falling over her face. "No. Sonny this isn't your fault. It's my own." She looked up at him and reached out to touch his face. Memories of the night of his breakdown came back and he felt that same pull to her now he had then. He began to move closer, his eyes falling to her lips. Carly leaned in, the strange craving that he always ignited taking over._

He'd rearranged his entire life for her and her son. For no other reason than because she had asked him to.

_"I know what you're doing, Corinthos, and it's not going to work." _

_"What am I doing?" _

_"You're trying to make me angry so I won't want to stay here. It's not going to happen for two reasons."_

_"Which are?" _

_"One. I've made up my mind and once that's done, no going back."_

_"Uh-huh. And two?" _

_"I can't really stay angry with you." _

_"Since when?"_

_"Well, since you started flashing those dimples my way. I'm a sucker for dimples." She winked at him, leaning back against his desk. "But don't tell anyone I said that." _

_Sonny barked out a laugh. "You are going to be the death of me, Benson." _

_"I hope not." Carly made her way to his side. She placed her head on his shoulder, looking up at him sweetly. "So is this a yes?" _

_Sonny stared at her for what seemed like hours. Carly bit her lip, waiting with bated breath for his response. _

_"I know I'm going to regret this..."_

_"Yay!" Carly clapped her hands together. "I knew you would do it."_

No one had done that for her. Ever. His feelings for her were more than just friendship. They had to be. She knew she loved him, and maybe he loved her back.

Just maybe...

She stared at the door and, mustering up the courage, she rose to her feet and headed for the adjoining bathroom. There was one way to find out what Sonny felt.

And find out she was going to.

Sonny heard soft footsteps descend the stairs and turned to greet Carly. His heart tumbled over itself at the sight of her. The scarlet dress clung to her curves snugly, enticing him. He swallowed down the stark need to make her his, to claim and possess her. His want for her frightened him and he glanced away, fighting the turmoil in his mind.

Carly noticed his reaction and added it to all the rest in her head. He felt something more for her than she'd wanted to believe. Happiness fluttered in her stomach and she flickered a look at his profile, watching a muscle tick in his jaw. He was holding back.

Not wanting to push, she halted at the bottom of the steps.

"So you like?" She asked, twirling with a flourish.

Sonny gazed at her as she turned for his inspection. "Yeah. I like." His voice was deep and thick, the only evidence of his struggle. He cleared his throat and gestured toward the table. Lightening the mood, he wiggled his brow at her. "Are you ready for dinner, madam?"

Carly giggled nervously. "Yes, thank you. You may go now." She let a burst of laughter escape at Sonny's indignant glare and reached for her chair. His hand covered hers, sending a flare of longing through her body to her center.

"Let me." He pulled the chair out and she sat, feeling his fingers caress the back of her neck. Biting back a whimper, she breathed deeply.

Sonny watched her through hooded eyes, seeing her response to his touch. "Carly?"

She peeked up at him from under her lashes. "Yes?"

He shook his head, feeling the thumping of his heart double. "Um...how was your day?"

_Coward. _

Carly hid her disappointment and shrugged at his question. "It was all right. Luke gave me a job."

Sonny choked on his water. "What?"

Carly laughed at his appalled face. "Don't be so shocked, Sonny. I can get a job, you know."

He grinned at her. "You can do anything you put your mind to, Carly. I'm just a little surprised that you would go to Luke. Or that he would hire you."

Carly folded her hands in her lap and eyed him sharply. "Why is that?"

"Because you two hate each other," Sonny responded bluntly. "Not to mention that you're so much alike it'll be hell having to work with each other. You'll be butting heads so often that you'll be coming home with welts on your forehead."

Carly shook her head. "It'll be fine, Sonny. Trust me."

Sonny nodded. "Okay. So, you ready to see what's for dinner?"

Carly sat shell-shocked, nodding numbly. He hadn't hesitated for one second in trusting her to make this decision. He was simply going to support her and let her do what she thought was best. She watched as he pulled the top off the tray to reveal her favorite: double cheeseburger with everything and fries on the side.

Her joyful laugh ran through him and Sonny was glad he'd listened to his instincts. He met her eyes and smiled into them. "Bon appetit."

* * *

Elizabeth locked the door to Kelly's soundly, sighing in relief. It had taken that last customer forever to leave and God knew all she wanted was to go home, bury her head in her pillow and sleep. Surveying the mess in the room, she knew that wasn't going to happen for a few hours.

Grabbing a nearby tray, she began to systematically clear tables and her mind went into autopilot. This was familiar. Easy. Almost a comfort.

It hadn't always been that way. She'd been a terrible waitress when she'd started. Probably the worst anyone had ever seen. But her need to be near Lucky had won out over the embarrassment of broken dishes and Ruby's constant scolding. She ached for those moments, would give anything to have Lucky with her.

Dreams of him still filled her head nightly and she found that she missed him more as time passed, not less. But recently her mind and thoughts had wandered to someone else. Someone just as unavailable as Lucky was to her.

Loud knocking pulled her from her thoughts and she turned, seeing the beautiful angular face through the window. She rubbed her temples, contemplating whether to open the door or leave him standing out there.

"Elizabeth. Let me in, please."

Shaking her head, and knowing she would regret it, she walked to the door, turning the lock and letting him slip through before closing it once more. Ignoring him, she went back to the table she'd been working on.

If he wanted to talk, he was going to have to start.

"I'm sorry."

She paused in her actions and glanced behind her. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to, Jason."

"And I will tell Carly AND Sonny how sorry I am for being a..."

"Jackass?"

Jason smiled at her back. "Yeah. But they're not the only ones I hurt."

"You don't have to, Jason. You don't owe me anything."

"Yes, I think I do."

Elizabeth shrugged. "I'm fine, Jason. I mean, yeah, it stings a little that you don't value what I think. But it has to hurt Carly, and probably Sonny, a hell of a lot more than it does me to have you acting this way."

A deep sigh emanated from Jason and he pulled out a chair, settling down into it. "I don't know what the hell got into me."

Elizabeth walked to the counter, placing the tray on it, before turning to lean against the side. "What was that all about, Jason?"

He shrugged. "A lot of things, I guess. I've seen this thing between Sonny and Carly coming for a long time. I'm not blind, even if everyone wants to believe I am."

She listened silently, nodding to encourage him to continue.

"But I always thought that one day my feelings for Carly would change and I'd be what she wanted. Or that she would be satisfied with my feelings for her."

"Don't you think that's a little selfish?"

Jason stared at her from across the room. "Yes, I do. But it's how I felt." He rose from his chair. "I love Carly, and knowing she's in love with Sonny makes me ache a little."

Elizabeth crossed her arms and studied him. "You can't choose who people will love, Jason. You love who you love."

Jason held his hand up. "Let me finish. After I left here this morning, still hurting from Carly's confession and your...insults, I took off. Rode all day and ended up on the bridge that Robin and I used to call our place."

Elizabeth suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at the mention of the little ninny. God knew she couldn't stand the saccharine princess.

Jason watched as dislike flickered across her face and almost laughed. Robin didn't seem to have many fans in Port Charles. "Anyway, sitting there made me realize that it wasn't jealousy over Carly and Sonny, really. More over the fact that they had found each other. Through all the messes in their lives, all the pain and lies, they'd been blessed with one another. I'm jealous of that."

Elizabeth hid her shock well. "You're jealous of what they have, not of them. Is what you're saying?"

Jason nodded, piercing blue eyes boring into hers. "You could say that. I would say I envy them the ability to open up that way."

Her eyes followed his form as he strode toward her slowly. Gulping back panic, she clenched the counter under her fingers. "Why?"

He was mere inches away and she had to stare up at him, focusing on his lips before returning to his eyes. Her breath caught slightly, and he leaned down to brush his lips against hers. "Because I've been trying to let you in for a long time and I've been too scared to do it."

Elizabeth breathed in his scent, her head swimming. "What's stopping you, Jason?" She wound her hands in his hair and tugged gently. "Take a chance."

His lips met hers with a fervent passion, the world around them falling, disappearing.

Oblivious to everything around them. To the eyes that watched them from the shadows...

* * *

"Mmmmm."

Sonny leaned back, watching Carly take the last bite of her dinner, and bit back a groan as she licked her fingers, her eyes closing in ecstasy. He shifted in his seat, his desire rigid and throbbing. How the hell could watching her eat make him hard? He felt like a teenager again, unable to control his body or emotions.

Dinner had been a lesson in slow torture for him. Every movement she made seemed threaded with sensuality. He'd observed her as she ate and spoke about her day. His eyes would fall to her legs as she'd cross and uncross them languidly. Up to her hands as they accompanied her words, moving swiftly through the air. Her tongue wetting her lips, making them glisten and tempting him like nothing else could.

It was a wonder he hadn't embarrassed himself yet.

And, through it all, she was oblivious to his reactions.

She licked her lips again and he almost doubled in pain. "Shit."

The curse escaped his lips and he found Carly's eyes on him. She frowned, worry creasing her brow. "Sonny, are you okay?" She leaned over and ran her hand up his arm gently. His face was flushed, and it reaffirmed her belief that something was off.

She'd been watching him through dinner, finding it hard not to give in to the need to feel his skin with hers. He'd taken his jacket off before dinner, rolling his sleeves and revealing dark, muscular arms. She'd had to take a bite of dinner to muffle the strangled groan that came from her lips. When he'd licked his lips before taking a sip of wine, she'd thought she would faint from the heat that rose in her.

She'd never been so jealous of glassware.

He was too tempting for words and, damn it, she'd never wanted to sin so badly in her life.

He fought back a shiver, tamping down the fire that roared in him from her touch. Controlling his breathing, he closed his hand over hers, rubbing his thumbs across her knuckles before letting it go and beginning to clear the table.

Carly rose up and reached for the plates. "Let me do that, Sonny."

He shook his head. "I don't mind."

Carly's eyes pleaded with him silently and he relented, telling her to rinse the dishes and leave them in the washer. She nodded and he caught the flash of laughter in her eyes. She was mocking him in her head.

He watched her disappear into the kitchen before he stood up and paced the floor, stopping by the windows to stare into the dark night. The urge to run out onto the balcony was overwhelming. He needed to breath in air, to push away the clamp that was surrounding his chest.

Carly walked silently out of the kitchen, pausing at the doorway as she took in Sonny's form. He was looking out over the harbor as he always did when he was thinking...or nervous.

He sensed her behind him and turned, dimples at the ready. "That was quick." He motioned to the couch and she followed him. She knew he needed to control the situation. Especially when he felt he was losing power.

She could understand. It had taken every fiber in her not to run past him and up the stairs just then.

They sat across from each other and let an awkward silence fall between them.

Sonny took a deep breath as his eyes scanned the room, falling on the stereo, and he turned to her intensely. "Do you want to dance?" The words tripped from his mouth before his brain could register what he was saying. Dancing meant holding...closeness...touching...

He almost took the suggestion back but noticed the light that shone in her eyes and snapped his mouth shut.

"I'd love to."

Moving to the stereo, he pressed play hoping and dreading that the song was a slow one. Soft, melodic notes filled the air and he turned to her, extending his hand.

It was just a dance.

**Be careful with my heart  
You could break it  
Don't take my love for granted  
Things could change  
**

She took it firmly, almost timidly, and he watched her as their bodies closed in. One hand touched his shoulder, the other held in his, and she pressed her warmth against him. Closing his eyes, he swayed to the music, letting it flow over him, losing himself in her scent...his need...their bond...

**Sometimes I go insane  
I played the fool and you'll agree  
I'll never be the same  
Without you here with me**

Her cheek rubbed softly against his shirt, heat soaking into her skin. It felt right to be there. It always did. Sonny's hands tightened and he pulled her closer, their lower halves pressed together. They swayed to the music as one, always in sync. She breathed in, the heady smell of his skin and cologne surrounding her.

"Sonny?"

**Cuidado (please be careful)  
con mi corazon  
Me siento algo desnudo  
Cuidado (please be careful)  
es mi corazon  
Mi corazon**

He leaned back slightly to stare into her face and froze, seeing himself reflected in her eyes. She wanted him and she wasn't hiding it.

Carly smiled timidly at him. "Kiss me."

"What?"

She didn't respond, raising on her toes and crushing his mouth with hers.

**Be careful with my heart  
You could break it  
Don't take my love for granted  
Things could change**

It took his mind a moment to wrap around the fact that Carly had practically jumped him. His hands stayed motionless at his side before a burst of need kicked him into gear. Grabbing her face in his hands, he assumed control and slanted his mouth over hers.

Panting breaths escaped their lips only to be swallowed into each other. His hand roamed her back...her shoulder...her waist... He pulled back to look at her, tenderly kissing one closed eye, then the other. He felt a shiver run through her body and the last bit of his control snapped.

**Sometimes I go insane  
I played the fool and you'll agree  
I'll never be the same  
Without you here with me**

Carly felt her feet leave the ground and she realized Sonny was carrying her toward the couch. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and pulled away, dropping her head back.

His lips brushed against her throat, placing kisses down to the fleshy mounds that peeked over her dress. They brushed over the material that covered her flushed peaks and she moaned loudly.

**Cuidado (please be careful)  
con mi corazon,  
Cariño no me lastimes  
Cuidado (please be careful)  
es mi corazon  
Mi corazon**

He could hear the humming in her throat. Feel the energy that ran through her body. It burned his hands as he touched every part of her he could reach. He flipped her onto the couch, lost in the heat...the taste of her skin...

She whimpered for a moment, almost in fright, and it halted him. He pulled back to look into her eyes. He could see the need...wanting...but he detected a trace of fear...uncertainty, and it was like a bucket of cold water. He wanted her more than anything. So much that he'd lost his mind in his need. Scared her with it.

**If I could reach out to you  
Nothing will stop me  
Take your head in my hands  
Tell me what would you do**

"Wait...wait...wait..."

"Sonny?"

Carly straightened up, pulling her dress down and touching his face slowly. "Is something wrong?"

Sonny shook his head, breathing raggedly, grappling with his emotions and urgency to touch her. "Hold on. Give me a minute."

Carly paused, her hand in the air between them. "Did I do something wrong?"

Hurt laced her question and he turned to gaze at her. "Oh, baby...no. You didn't..." He ran his hands through his hair, attempting to find the right words to explain what had just happened. "I'm not good with words, Carly, but I'm going to try, okay?'

She nodded, her eyes tracing his face. She glanced down as he took her hand and kissed it softly.

"I want you...more than anything in the world..."

Carly touched his face. "I want you too."

He shook his head as he returned her caress. "But you're afraid. I scared you."

"Sonny..."

"The truth, Carly, come on."

She couldn't deny that in that moment when he'd thrown her on her back, she'd glimpsed raw, almost pained need in his face, and it had sent a stab of fear through her. No one had ever looked at her that way.

"Did I scare you?"

She nodded, whispering. "A little."

**Kiss your eyes, sing you to sleep**

**Your voice sounds like a lullaby  
Here's my heart, this time to keep**

**Here's my heart to keep**

He turned his body to hers, stroking her hair as he pulled her closer. "See, I don't want to do that. When we're together for the first time, I want you to have no doubts. No fears."

Carly shook her head. "I wasn't afraid of you, Sonny."

He stared at her face before looking away. She caught the hesitation in him and almost smiled. "Sonny, are you scared?"

He sent her a wry glance. "I'm terrified, actually." He laughed dryly. "I've never wanted anyone as much as I want you and that's...a scary thing." He held her hands, lacing and unlacing their fingers as he spoke. "I don't wanna screw this up, Carly."

She watched his face as he concentrated on their joined hands. "What do you mean?"

Sonny shrugged, trying to appear relaxed, unfazed, but she could see through him. He really was scared out of his mind.

"This is the best thing that's happened to me...probably in my whole life, you know? You're everything I've ever wanted." He met her eyes. "I want you to be sure about this." He pointed between them. "About us."

She sat speechless, the conviction in his voice shaking her to the core. Was this what it felt like to be loved? To be wanted more than anything?

If it wasn't, she was fearful to find out what that felt like.

**Cuidado (please be careful)  
con mi corazon,  
Cariño no me lastimes  
Cuidado (please be careful)  
es mi corazon  
Mi corazon**

She pulled her hands out from his grasp, bringing one to stroke the hair around his ear. "What do you want?"

Sonny smiled at her. "I can't believe what I'm going to say. I think we should take it slow. Especially with...this." He brushed his fingers across her bruised lips. "I want you to be sure that you're ready for all this."

"All this?"

Sonny pierced her eyes with his, the deep brown darkening to black as he spoke. "I want you to believe and want this to be a sure thing. This is it for me, Carly, but is it the same for you?"

His words gripped her heart and she held back her sob of joy. No words seemed to be able to come from her mouth, so Sonny finished what he had to say. "You and me...we're forever. I want to know that you believe in that. In us. I want to wait until you're sure."

Carly nodded. "Okay."

Sonny eyed her. "Really?"

She laughed. "Jeez, Sonny, I'm not a sex-starved raving lunatic."

He laughed with her and pulled into his arms. "Whenever you're ready."

Carly smiled into his shoulder and nodded. She rose to her feet and pulled him up with her. "Walk me to my door, Mr. Corinthos?"

**Be careful with my heart  
You could break it  
Don't take my love for granted  
Things could change**

He slipped his hands around her waist, smiling at the tremble that ran through her. "Lead the way, Ms. Benson."

He followed as she ascended to the floor above, his eyes straying to the small movement her backside made, the dress clinging to it softly. Sonny closed his eyes and strengthened his resolution. He only wanted her when she was ready to take all of him. Mind, body and soul. He glanced down again and remembered the last time they'd been in this position.

But she didn't turn to face him at the top of the steps. Instead, she led the way to her room. Opening the door, she turned to see him standing a few feet from her. "Thank you, Sonny."

"We never even got to the good stuff."

Carly smiled devilishly. "That wasn't the good stuff!?"

His laughter rumbled in his chest and he leaned in, kissing her slowly, nibbling gently and pulling away when he felt the whirling of desire begin. "We'll talk about that tomorrow."

She smiled again, stealing one last quick kiss as she slipped into her room.

Leaning his head against the hard wood, Sonny let out a frustrated sigh. When the hell had love become so complicated?

On the opposite side, Carly held her hand to the door, feeling his presence there. Listening to his footsteps fade slowly, she moved away toward the center of the room, her eyes falling on her dresser then back to the door.

She believed in them, in him. She believed in forever. And she was going to show him just how much...

**Cuidado (please be careful)  
con mi corazon,  
Cariño no me lastimes  
Cuidado (please be careful)  
es mi corazon  
Mi corazon**

_Lyrics: Be Careful (Cuidado Con Mi Corazon), performed by Ricky Martin with Madonna_


	18. Chapter 18

**If Only... **

_Chapter 18 _  
(NC-17)

Sonny pounded his pillow, shifting his body over and then back again. He'd lost count by now how much tossing and turning he'd done. Lifting his head, he glanced at the clock. He groaned when it read three o'clock, rubbing his hand over his face in frustration.

It was exhausting trying not to think of Carly. Trying not to remember that she slept down the hall. Trying not to listen to the need to be with her.

His mind flashed to her image. Lying amidst his sheets, blonde hair fanned across his pillows. He glanced over at the empty space next to him. He wanted her with him. Now.

Thoughts of Carly had been plaguing him since he'd left her at her door. He couldn't push them away. He'd promised her time to adjust to the idea of them. He wanted her to be sure. He needed her to be.

But the need for her in his arms, in his bed, was stronger.

"Forget this." He threw his blankets off, his feet hitting the cold floor. Who was he kidding? He wasn't going to sleep tonight and he knew it. His eyes fell on the decanter of brandy across the room and with little hestitation he walked to it. Pouring a hefty amount into the glass, he brought it to his lips and gulped it down in one movement. He sighed, feeling the warmth spread through him.

Why in the hell had he stopped? Shaking his head, he poured another one, this time sipping slowly as he became lost in his thoughts.

What had possessed him to push Carly away? He wanted her and he wasn't the type to deny himself what he wanted. Not ever. His gaze fell to his door, looking beyond to what lay behind it. Across the hallway from him. He wanted her to feel safe with him - That was his excuse.

But she wasn't. Not in his life. Not in his house and certainly not across the hall from him. He wanted her to want him, so he had to be honest. He had to show her who he was. Warts and all.

"To hell with it."

Carly knew him for what he was. What was it she always called him? Selfish and a control freak. Damn straight. He knocked back what was left of his drink, setting the glass down, and with determination walked to the door. The sudden knocking made him stop, his hand on the knob.

"Sonny."

His brow furrowed for a moment and he cleared his throat. "Carly?"

"You expecting someone else?"

Sonny opened the door, his stare meeting hers as he did. "You never know." Smiling, his eyes drifted over her face before moving down, drinking her in. Heat rose in Carly as he paused at her breasts, rubbing his chin before slowly bringing his eyes back to hers. His smile caused her to almost rethink her plan.

Almost.

She wanted him and knew he wanted her. So to hell with what he thought she needed.

Smiling softly, she slid past him, her hair brushing his skin. She felt his eyes follow her progress across his room. She came to stand next to his window, turning to glance back at him. "I couldn't sleep. You?"

He shook his head, his eyes narrowing as they watched her walk to his dresser, hands skimming over the surface. Carly yawned, bringing her arms over her head, the material of her gown stretching over her taut nipples. Sonny grinned inwardly as he observed her. She was trying to seduce him.

He felt the hardness in his pants as he watched her absentmindedly bite her lip.

She was doing a damn fine job too. He rubbed his hand slowly against his chin, his eyes following her every move. Her head was bent, hair shielding her face, as she studied the old wooden cigar box he kept on his dresser.

Carly felt his gaze on her and swallowed nervously. Her stomach and knees trembled as she opened the box in front of her. The sickly sweet smell of cigars floated out of it and she inhaled deeply. "You don't look like a smoking man, Sonny."

"I'm not."

She jumped feeling his breath on her neck, bringing her eyes to the mirror and seeing him at her back. She hadn't heard him get that close. Sonny met her gaze in the reflection, his lips breaking slowly into a dimpled smile.

Carly felt the walls close in around her and she turned, crossing the room. She needed as much distance from Sonny as she could get at the moment. Her eyes fell to the door, an escape plan forming in her head.

"Are you planning on stealing that?" His eyes stayed fixed on hers as he closed in. Carly looked down to her hands, noticing that she had grabbed the box. She laughed nervously as Sonny approached.

"Sorry."

Sonny stood in front of her now, staring intently at her face. He reached for the case, fingers brushing against hers. Setting it down, he returned his gaze to hers and smiled slowly. Fear and longing warred inside her, tugging at her heart. The walls seemed to close in more and Carly gulped, stuttering as she brushed past Sonny. "I need to - I should go."

His hand wrapped around her arm, halting her progress. "Don't go." Her back to him, Carly bit back a sigh and glanced over her shoulder.

**Did you ever think of me  
As your best friend.**

"I - I don't want - I came here to -"

He flashed a smile, gliding his hand up her arm tenderly. He felt her shudder under his touch and guided her body to his, her back against his front. Lips planting feather-soft kisses at her neck, nipping lightly as he shifted to press firmly into her. "I know."

Her head fell back, exposing the soft skin of her neck to his roaming lips. He bit down, smiling at her gasp. He kissed her skin tenderly, attempting to take away some of the sting. His hands moved over stomach, skimming over the silk of her nightgown, gliding to a rest beneath her ribcage.

Carly trembled, fighting against the feelings crashing over her. Every part Sonny touched ached, wanting more, needing more. She shook her head, pulling slightly away. "Sonny...I-" He stilled, one hand lightly touching her breast, the other stopping on the inside of her thighs. She felt his chest rise against her back, his voice a low gravelly rumble in her ear.

"Are you scared?"

She nodded, swallowing against the lump. "I - I don't want to regret this."

**Did I ever think of you  
I'm not complaining.**

Sonny pulled back, bringing his hands to her shoulders and turning her to face him. He ran his hands through her hair lovingly, his gaze locking onto hers. "I want you, Caroline. I want you more than I've wanted anything or anyone in my life."

Carly stared, speechless, her mind searching for the right thing to say. Sonny took her silence as fear and continued, framing her face in his hands. "I trust you like no one else. I don't just want to share my home with you. I want to share my life. Can you do that? Knowing who and what I am, can you be with me?"

He watched tears glisten in her eyes and cast his eyes away. His heart bruising at the unexpected denial. He should have known better and not pushed her. Now she would close him out and -

Her mouth crashed onto his, surprising him and causing his balance to waver, arms wrapping around her waist to keep them both upright. Hers twined around his neck, pressing their bodies together. Heat rose between and around them, their panting echoing in the room, and Sonny released a groan as Carly's hands found their way under his shirt, caressing his skin. He deepened the kiss, coaxing her mouth to open to him, tasting her...

Moaning, Carly plunged into the heat of his mouth, stroking her tongue over his. Feeling his hands fisting in her hair, she whimpered, yanking back from his mouth. Eyes half shuttered, he leaned his forehead, touching hers, their breaths mingling in the space between.

"Please don't ask me to stop."

**I never tried to feel.  
I never tried to feel.  
This vibration. **

Carly shook her head, smiling slightly. "I couldn't even if I wanted to." His hands roamed her back, soothing and sending every nerve in her body haywire. They stopped on her ass, gripping gently as she spoke. "I...you know how we are, Sonny. We light a match and the whole house burns."

Her tone was scared but he could hear need mixed within it. Releasing her, he drew back, meeting her eyes. "There's nothing to be afraid of." Carly sent him a disbelieving stare and he chuckled. His woman wasn't stupid. "Okay. There is...but sometimes taking a chance is worth it."

Warm fingers trailed over her cheek, reassuring her along with his words. Carly shivered, wanting and desire bubbling over in her. "We cause so much damage, Sonny..."

His hand fell to her head, luring her face closer, lips touching. The words falling amidst his soft kisses...

"I don't want to do any more damage."

**I never tried to reach.  
I never tried to reach.  
Your eden. **

Lips nipped lightly, diving in and out for small kisses, tender bites. Carly's hands drifted down, finding the edge of his shirt, lifting it up and over his head. Letting it fall to the floor, she trailed her hands over his skin, teasing. He smiled at her, releasing a gasp when her mouth followed her hands. She reached his neck, biting gently, her hands moving down, sliding over the front of his pants.

Sonny grasped her face tenderly, walking her backwards towards the bed, his kiss plundering her mouth. When she stopped, he dragged his mouth from hers, drinking her in. His hands trailed over her shoulder, playing with the thin straps of her nightgown. Almost reverently, he pushed one strap down her shoulder, his lips tracing over her skin. They reached the sensitive spot on her neck and she shivered. He pulled gently on other strap, feeling the material fall loose to pool at their feet.

_**Your eden. Your eden.**_

He shifted, eyes falling to her flushed breasts, the soft mounds rising and falling with her every breath. His hands followed the same path, lightly cupping them, fingers tracing the tips. Her moans of pleasure aroused a rush of blood to his painfully hard erection.

"Jesus."

She was more beautiful than he had imagined. Her skin glowed radiantly in the light, her eyes shining with desire. Carly met his gaze, a smile that made his insides quiver forming on her mouth, and she closed the distance between them, bringing her warm, soft skin against his.

Carly leaned towards him, her mouth teasing his, brushing across his cheeks, his lips, his chin. Her hands rested on his hips and she looped her fingers under the edge of his pants, pushing them down. Her eyes glanced down brieftly and returned to his face. She grinned widely, one hand finding his hardness, the other caressing the skin from his hips to his buttocks and back. Sonny leaned into her touch, eyes closing against the pleasure. He reached down, covering her hands with his. She pumped her hand over his erection, illicting a deep growl from Sonny. Her movements sped up then slowed as she watched his face. She continued the pattern, Sonny's breaths gaining speed as did her movements. He pulsed in her hand, throbbing at her touch. Her fingers moving over the head slowly, filling her hands with his scent, his mark.

Carly kissed a trail of wet kisses up his chest and neck, laughing. "Patience..."

**Did I ever think of you  
As my enemy. **

Sonny grasped her shoulders firmly, pushing her onto his bed, his arms on either side of her. He kicked off his pants, hovering over her before gradually lowering his body onto hers. "...is a virtue. I don't have those."

Carly's laughter rumbled against his chest and he grinned. "You were teasing me weren't you, little girl?"

"Uh-huh. What are you planning on doing about it, old man?"

Sonny raised an eyebrow, enjoying the satisfied smirk that appeared on her face. Without a word, he kissed her lips, deepening it as she responded. Her hands trailed over his back and up to rest at the nape of his neck, tugging at the hair that lay there. His mouth marked a path over her neck, sliding slowly over her skin, pausing when he reached the rise of her breasts. His tongue softly lapped at them, kissing and licking each one. Carly moaned quietly, hands crawling over his back and neck, clawing gently. He took one nipple into his mouth, rolling his tongue over it, nipping, suckling. His fingers found the other one, tweaking firmly as Carly's moans grew louder and he smiled against her, loving her sounds filling the air.

His mouth kissed its way down her body, halting for a moment at her firm stomach. He placed a soft kiss on her navel and continued his trail until he came to her thighs, his hands reaching her center. Fingers slipped through her folds, into her entrance, finding her ready. His thumb found the sensitive nub and, rubbing lightly, he sank one finger into her.

**Did you ever think of me  
I'm not complaining. **

Carly groaned, her pleasure growing, flames twisting in her as Sonny continued his slow torture. She gasped as he pushed a second, then third finger into her. Her head swam, drunk on the feel of Sonny, the need for more of him, pounding through her. Her eyes opened slightly to look down at him, meeting his gaze. He smiled slyly, removing his hand from her, and Carly's eyes widened as he leaned his head into the apex between her legs.

Sonny kissed the inside of her thighs before bringing his tongue to her. Carly's hips jutted up from the bed, a groan of satisfaction escaping her lips. Sonny placed a palm on her hips, firmly holding her in place while his tongue plundered her, sucking, tasting, drinking her...

She grasped his head, holding it, stroking it as her body began to tremble. She felt the rising wave of pleasure. Sonny's mouth and hands continued their assault and she grasped the sheets, crying out his name as she drowned under the sensations that flooded her.

He climbed upward, kissing and licking along the path, finally bringing his weight on her, staring into her eyes before taking her mouth in his. Carly moaned, her taste still on his lips heightening her pleasure. She shivered and Sonny positioned himself at her entrance, sliding with a thrust into her snug warmth. She gasped at his intrusion, feeling just a slight discomfort as her body took him. Sonny leaned down, kissing her softly, thrusting slowly, easing into her.

**I never tried to feel.  
I never tried to feel.  
This vibration. **

She could still feel the tendrils of a new orgasm in her body and Sonny inside her only increased her desire for more. Touching his face gently, she brought her legs to his hips, seeing Sonny's eyes grow black as he pushed deeper into her. His movements were slow, calculated, controlled. He watched her face, his hands finding hers and lacing their fingers, bringing them over her head.

Carly sped up her movements, needing the release of the pent up sensations that were now boiling over. She gripped Sonny's ass and groaned, a mixture of pleasure and frustration. Her eyes stayed on Sonny's as he thrust into her, almost pulling out completely before plunging into her once more. Carly pushed up as he thrust, wanting that release, needing that climax.

"Wait...baby...I don't want this to end so quickly."

She shuddered as he whispered into her mouth, their kisses melding together, one beginning where the other ended. He kissed her eyes, her face as he continued the slow, long ride into ecstasy. Her hands loosened and she brought them to grip him firmly.

"Please...Sonny...I need...you...now..."

**I never tried to reach.  
I never tried to reach.  
Your eden. **

His hands gripped her hips as he drove himself into her, their passionate cries filling the room. The sound of his skin against hers reverberated in his ears and he bit back a groan, determined not to give in to it until she was with him. Until they went over the abyss together. He pushed down against her, driving himself into her over and over, hearing her small gasps as he thrust inside her.

_**Your eden. Your eden.**_

Painfully delicious heat engulfed her, skin quivering in urgency, begging for release. Sonny leaned into her, his hardness touching her core repeatedly and she felt the undeniable rush of ectasy. Her vision blurred, darkness nipping at conciousness, and she screamed as wave after wave of sensations hit her body.

Sonny felt Carly convulse beneath him, around him, and he drove into her roughly, feeling his own climax pull him under. He garbled her name, spilling his warmth inside her womb. He fell onto her as his arms gave way, losing their strength. He remained on top of her, feeling her continued shuddering. After what seemed an eternity he kissed her face and neck, rolling off her gently, and scooped her into his arms with her back against his chest.

He listened to their breathing, waiting for his heart and hers to return to some semblance of normalcy. Her hands ran through his sweat-drenched hair and he opened his eyes feeling her eyes on him.

Stroking her hair, he kissed it softly, inhaling her scent...their scent. "Are you okay?"

She glanced at him. "Oh yeah. Just wondering something."

"What?" His face nuzzled against her neck, loving the smell of her skin mingled with the scent of their lovemaking.

Her hands stroked the arms he'd wrapped around her. God she felt wonderful.

"I guess this means that whole waiting deal is out?"

Sonny stopped, pulling back to look at her face. She glanced back at him and grinned. "Just saying."

He buried his face in her neck and laughed...

**I never tried to feel.  
I never tried to ...  
Your eden**_**.**_

_Lyrics: Eden by Sarah Brightman_


	19. Chapter 19

**If Only...**

_Chapter 19_

Warmth against her face reached through sleep, teasing her awake even as her body rebelled. She gave in to the drugging lull of sleep but the heaviness against her chest gave her a moment of pause.

Something moved against her and Carly smiled, feeling Sonny's leg entwine with hers, his arms wrapped around her waist and his soft breath against her check.

Her closed eyes fluttered slowly open, brows furrowing against the stream of early morning light falling across her face. She turned her head slightly and found Sonny's face just inches from hers. Pulling back lightly, she studied him, relishing the feeling of being in his arms and watching him sleep.

Her eyes traced his peaceful face, surprised at how young sleep made him look. She shifted her body to her side, letting his arm fall against her hip, and skimmed her finger across his skin.

She loved him so much it was a physical ache inside her body.

Last night had been like a dream. They'd made love until the sun had begun to rise and their bodies had given in to exhaustion. Sometime later, she'd awoken to his kisses, his hands arousing her sensations and he'd entered her slowly, gently, taking them both gradually over the edge...

He stirred slightly and Carly's attention came back to his face. Her happiness and peace came to a sudden halt as she stared at him. What if he didn't want her there? Last night had been wonderful...but morning could change people. She tensed, looking between Sonny's face and the door. She could probably manage to sneak out and go back to her room before...

"Stop that."

Carly jumped slightly, turning to see Sonny staring at her through barely opened eyes. She stared back, smiling nervously. "Stop what?"

He reached over, pulling her against him, and placed a soft kiss on her head. "Stop thinking so much. I don't want you to go anywhere."

Carly pulled back, surprised. "How..."

Sonny rolled his eyes. "Because I know you. You were thinking that I might not want you here, right?"

She nodded silently.

"Stupid woman. Ow." He rubbed the spot where her playful slap had landed. "Tell me I'm wrong. Go ahead."

Carly snuggled into his chest and murmured something.

Sonny lifted an eyebrow, looking down at the top of her head. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

She sighed, irritated that he knew her so well. "I said you were right and if you make one comment I'm gonna leave you singing soprano Corinthos."

Sonny chuckled, pulling her up as he slid down to look into her face. He caressed her face lightly watching her eyes darken with desire. He saw something more in them. Something he wasn't quite ready to acknowledge yet. He leaned in, kissing her hungrily as she gently tried to fight him.

"Sonny..."

"Hmm." His mouth trailed down her chin placing soft kisses as it went. He found the sensitive spot on her neck and bit softly.

"Oh god..." Carly attempted to clear away the need growing inside her. "Sonny...the baby...Michael...he'll be here soon...we...oh..."

Sonny heard her plea through his hunger and lifted his head, kissing her mouth sweetly, slowly before pulling away. He glanced over at the clock and groaned, burying his head in her neck. "Damn."

She laughed at his frustration and leaned her cheek on his head. "That's what happens when you got kids." She caught the meaning of what she had said and closed her eyes, cursing silently. There she went. Jumping to conclusions.

Sonny glanced up at her, seeing her face was turning red. "Carly, you know I love Michael like my own."

His words thrilled her beyond thought and she jumped on top of him, showering his face with kisses. Sonny laughed at her enthusiasm, pushing slightly against her to halt the barrage of unexpected affection. He wasn't used to it.

She refused to stop and he paused, letting it continue as her kisses became slower.

He could get used to this.

Her face was inches from his and he leaned up, taking her mouth into his, hands delving into her hair...

"I want to see Sonny now!"

Sonny and Carly stopped abruptly, stilling to hear the commotion that seemed to emanate from downstairs.

"You can't go up there, lady!"

"Who's going to stop me? You Johnny? Or Francis here? Put that thing down!"

Carly watched Sonny as the Banana continued her tirade on poor Frankie and Johnny.

"Is he up there with that little bitch?!"

"Ms. Scott, you need to come down now!"

"She manipulated him, didn't she? That whore took advantage of him while I was gone!"

Sonny glanced at Carly, watching as a mix of hurt and anger crossed her face. She threw a deadly look at the door and muttered. "She has some focking nerve." Carly glanced at the clock. "Jesus it's not even 6 in the morning. What if Micheal was here?"

"I think Agent Scott and I need to have a little conversation."

Sonny moved quickly, shoving the covers off his body, he found his boxers, and with jerky movements, put them. There was no way anyone was going to get away with hurting Carly. He could feel Carly's eyes following him and he heard her rise from the bed. Glancing around the room, he found his robe laying on the floor. Sonny picked it up, shoving his arms through the sleeves with impatience. He broke off from tying the belt around his waist when he felt Carly's warm hand on his shoulder.

"Carly, I'm going down there."

He faced her, pausing and then smiling at the determined glint in her eyes.

"I know. I'm going with you."

* * *

"Leticia! Leticia!!" Johnny pounded on her door, glancing occasionally down the stairs to make sure Frankie was still in one piece. He could handle bullets and bombs. He could handle hit men and flunkies. He could even handle the occasional shopping trip with Carly. But no way in hell was he prepared for a psychotic pixie with an FBI badge. This wasn't what he'd been trained for.

"Leticia, open the goddamn door!"

The door was opened and he stared into Leticia's amused eyes. "Can I help you Johnny?"

"Yes." He grabbed her arm firmly and swiftly headed to the stairs. There was resistance and he turned his head, noticing Leticia's heels digging into the carpet. He stopped, suppressing a frustrated sigh. "Let. I need you downstairs please."

"For what?!" She folded her arms over her chest, shaking her head. "You are the bodyguard, sweetheart. Not me. This is your arena."

"Come on, Let" Johnny knew he sounded whiny but he didn't care. He needed to get rid of the all annoying brunettes ASAP. "You gotta get rid of her."

"I don't gotta do anything. She's your problem, Johnny. Hey, if it was a diaper that needed changing or a bottle made, I'd be all over it. Dealing with some nut job Fed is **NOT** in **MY** job description."

"She's a girl!!" Johnny yelled, pointing helplessly to the stairs.

Leticia blinked. "What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"I can't just haul off and use bodily force on her! Fed or not, she's still a woman. I don't touch women!" He pointed at her before she could speak. "I'd advise not to make a crack out of that statement." There was a crash of glass and they winced at the sound. She was going to tear the house apart. Johnny brought pleading eyes to Leticia. "Please go kick her ass to the curb, Let."

Leticia wavered as Johnny silently begged for her help. God knew she wanted to get her hands on that idiot for some time now. She took a step forward when the master bedroom door flew open and out stepped an angry looking Sonny...followed by an even angrier Carly.

"Don't worry about Hannah, Johnny. I'll handle her." Sonny said, as he brushed past the bodyguard to the stairs.

Carly paused at his side. "You may want to come watch. I don't plan on leaving remains once I'm finished." Following Sonny, she winked at Johnny as she descended.

It took the two in the hall a moment to register what they were seeing. When it finally sunk in, they glanced at each other and grinned. Rushing forward, they ran down the stairs, tripping in their excitement. Hell was about to break loose in the living room.

Sonny froze in his tracks on the stairs. Carly came up behind him and he made out her soft giggle. He stared at Frankie as he held a growling Hannah off with a chair. The baffled guard kept making stabbing motions with the chair anytime it looked like Hannah would advance.

He wasn't sure what a person did in this situation.

Carly leaned in, whispering in his ear. "Yeah. You're going to have to give Frankie a raise. Big one."

He made mental note to do just that. He felt anger flow through him. It was time to school Agent Scott on her manners.

"Francis."

The cold tone of Sonny's voice sobered Carly and she glanced at Francis who sent Sonny a grateful smile. He set the chair down, nodding before heading to the door. Smart boy. She would have wanted to get out of the line of fire, too.

"Sonny! Why are you doing this to me?" Hannah marched toward Sonny, hands splayed out in front of her. "I love you, Sonny."

"How much of a bonus do you get every time you say that, Agent Scott? I'm just curious what I'm worth." Sonny's lips parted in a thin smile as Hannah's face drained of color. "Something wrong, Agent Scott?"

"How did you...who told you?"

Carly stepped forward. "I did." She met Hannah's cold stare with one of her own. "Apparently you were hired for your bed bunny skills because it wasn't too hard to figure out. I followed you when you met with your partner and did a little digging. When I was sure what it was you were doing, I told Sonny."

"Carly. The agent doesn't need to have any details. She knows we know. Now, I think we have to talk about what we're going to do with that information." Sonny stared hard at Hannah. "Any suggestions?"

Hannah closed in on Sonny, her hands reaching for his neck. Carly bit back on the urge to knock her into the other room. She couldn't stand her hands on Sonny but she would let him handle it. She averted her eyes to the door, counting slowly to ten.

Sonny knew Carly was struggling to keep her anger in check and he felt a quick flash of smug pride. He pushed it away as he did Hannah's hands, shoving her gently off of him. "Don't touch me, Federal Agent Scott."

"Stop calling me that!" Hannah cried.

"What would you like me to call you, Agent Scott?"

"Sonny. Sonny, please. You have to listen to me." Hannah reached for his coat, her grip tightening when Sonny pushed at her hands. "I never gave them anything that could hurt you."

Carly shook her head, hands fisting, she advanced on Hannah. "Oh. Is that why he had to spend days behind bars last spring...because you didn't give the Feds anything?" She reached Sonny's side and with a quick flick, pushed Hannah away from him, standing between the sleazy Fed and Sonny. "I remember seeing him then, Hannah. How hard it was for him to sit in that room. I remember Jason being in there as well. But you want to know what I remember the most, hmm?"

Hannah's back hit the wall behind her. She realized Carly had backed her into a corner. She had no place to go. Her eyes widened as the furious blonde came to stand in front of her.

Carly's eyes flashed with rage. "I remember your little act. How you told everyone at the PCPD, you'd make sure they were sued for hurting Sonny. Screaming that this was injustice and the whole time you had put him there!"

Hannah felt the pain on her face before she realized Carly had slapped her. She glared at the woman who'd destroyed her life. "You little bitch."

"I warned you not to hurt anyone I cared about. You chose not to listen."

"I'll make you pay for this."

"Bring it on."

Hannah lunged for Carly and was met with a fist. She backed to the wall, holding her nose.

Carly brought stunned eyes to Sonny, who managed to have a combined look of amusement and shock. He moved to her side quickly. "Hey. Are you okay?"

"What?! You're asking her if she's okay? I'm the one who was hit!"

Sonny ignored Hannah's protests and inspected Carly's swelled hand. "Let me go get some ice for that."

Carly shook her head. "No. I'm fine. You have some unfinished business. I'll go down to Kelly's for a little while. See if my mom is there." She walked past Hannah, who glowered at her with such hate that Carly paused, pulling on her coat as she stared back. "I'm sure you'll get what you deserve Agent Scott. I bet the FBI will hand you a plaque. 'Best Little Slut In Town.' Enjoy it cause you earned it. Right now, I suggest you leave my house. Nothing here is yours."

Carly walked to the door, feeling Sonny behind her. She turned to look at him. His eyes were filled with emotion though his body was the epitome of control. She touched his face softly. "Are you going to be okay?"

Sonny smiled at her warmly. "I'll be fine. I need to do this." He leaned in, giving her a lingering kiss. "I'll come get you when I'm finished with the Fed."

"Okay." She wiped his mouth with her hand. "I'll be waiting."

Sonny watched her enter the elevator before turning back to the disaster in his living room. He watched Hannah pace for a moment before she realized he was looking at her. She reached for him once more. "Sonny."

"Don't. I think we've said everything that needs to be said Agent Scott. You need to leave. Now." He pointed to the suitcase and box that sat next to his desk. "Get the hell out of my house."

"I have nowhere to go Sonny! I left the FBI today. For you. For us."

"Well then I guess you'll be looking for a new job along with a place to live. I don't want you here. I never wanted you here."

Hannah shook her head, tears in her eyes. "That's not true. You loved me. You did!" She insisted at his scoff. "You couldn't have lied about that."

"I was lying to myself Hannah!" He spread his hands around the room. "This was all a lie. I needed to believe it. I never loved you. I never could."

Hannah covered her ears, shaking. "No! I know you loved me." She glared at him. "I know it!"

"No. I didn't. Do you want to know why? How I know I never loved you?" Sonny pointed at the door. "That woman that just left. That's why. From the moment she blew into my life, she made me feel alive. Made me FEEL every emotion. You never did that."

He came to stand in front of her. "I never loved you because I was waiting. The entire time we were together. I was in a holding pattern."

Hannah closed her eyes, whispering. "You were waiting for that tramp."

Sonny grabbed her arm, forcing her to the door. "I suggest you never speak about Carly that way Agent Scott. I have very little patience and even less tolerance for anyone that insults her." He picked up her things, opening the door, and throwing it into the hall. "Get out. Never bother me or Carly again."

His eyes followed her as she walked out the door. She turned to look at him. "You and Carly will pay for this. I promise you that."

Sonny's eyes narrowed and he leaned in closely. "You listen closely Agent Scott. If anything happens to Carly...if she's hurt in any way...I will come looking for you. Believe me when I say, it won't be pretty. I promise you that."

He slammed the door and stared after it, Hannah threats echoing through his mind. He picked up his phone, pausing as he was greeted on the line. "I need to see you. We may have a problem."

* * *

Carly pulled Kelly's door open with a jerk. She wanted to rip Hannah's hair right out from her head strand by strand. God only knew what she was saying to Sonny. She realized she was standing in the doorway and glanced around to find Elizabeth staring strangely at her.

"What?"

"What?"

"You're staring."

"You're twisting your newspaper into a knot. It's not something I see everyday."

Carly's eyes dashed to her hand holding the now crumpled morning edition. She forced her grip to loosen and looked up at Elizabeth. "I'm not having a good day. Well, actually I was having a great morning but it's turned to crap now." She wanted to go home and check on Sonny. If she was lucky she'd get to pound Hannah's head for a little bit. Granted, she'd get arrested for striking a Fed but it would be worth it. She dashed a quick glance at Elizabeth again. "You're still staring." Carly pointed out, continuing her pacing.

Elizabeth was beginning to feel dizzy. She held up a hand, halting Carly mid-stride. "Okay. Who pissed you off?"

Carly turned. "Come again?"

"You look ready to rip someone's head off. I know I didn't make you mad...did I?" She paused and Carly shook her head. Elizabeth nodded. "Okay, so tell me what happened?"

"Tell you? Like share?"

"Um...yeah. That'd be the idea."

Carly eyes her curiously, a slight smile curling the edges of her mouth. "What are we now? Best buds?"

Elizabeth snorted. "Hardly. But you're in the middle of Kelly's, the diner where I work might I point out, and you look upset. It's not even..." Elizabeth glanced down at her, "...7 in the morning. I don't think I've ever seen you here or anywhere this early. Your mother owns the place so I can't kick you out so I just figured it would be best for everyone if I gave you someone to talk to. It looks like you could use it. Am I wrong?"

Carly thought for a long moment. Elizabeth's motives were a mystery but she needed to vent. Somehow. She couldn't go to Jason right now. She studied the young woman desperately hoping Elizabeth was being sincere. "It's complicated."

"When it comes to you Carly...complicated is the only thing I expect."

Carly laughed. "This is one...is difficult."

"More so then the last situation we had here?"

"Good point."

Elizabeth pulled out a chair, pointing and then sat down across from Carly. "Okay, then. Spill."

* * *

"Thanks for coming so quickly." Sonny herded Jason through the door, oblivious to the strange glances he was receiving from his best friend. "I think we have a problem."

Jason sighed. He knew his initial reaction to learning about Sonny and Carly was going to have consequences. Elizabeth had made sense. He should have been happy for his friends. He loved them both. He also knew them both. He was more than afraid for them. "Look Sonny. What ever happened between you and Carly...I should never have judged. It's none of my business. You don't need my permission or blessing to whatever it is you two do." He stopped realizing how ridiculous he just sounded. Blessing?

Sonny stared at him, his jaw tensing as he did. He was angry. Jason couldn't blame him. "That was out of line. I'm sorry."

"You're right. It was."

"You know I love Carly and I don't want to see her hurt. Either of you."

Sonny ignored the stab of jealousy he felt at hearing Jason. "Are you trying to tell me something Jason? You gonna fight for Carly now?"

Jason blinked. "What?" He was taken by surprise and for the first time he really looked at his friend. He saw something in Sonny he hadn't seen in a long time. "Well damn."

"What?"

"You're in love with her."

Sonny turned away, focusing on the problem at hand. "This wasn't why I called you here." He glanced back, motioning to the door. "Hannah was just here. I confronted her about everything."

"That couldn't have been pretty."

"It wasn't." Sonny went to the bar, pouring a glass of water and taking a long, hard sip. He rubbed his hand across his forehead, hoping the bad feeling that was growing him would subside. "Not surprising but..."

"Is she mad enough to do something to you? I'll call Benny to get security around you." Jason pulled his cell phone out but Sonny's next words made him freeze.

"She was blaming Carly, Jase." Sonny met worried blue eyes. "I think she's going after her."

* * *

"Hannah works for the F.B.I?" Elizabeth shook her head, trying to clear it of all the jumbled thoughts running through it. "Jesus."

Carly nodded, fiddling with her cup of coffee. "Tell me about it."

"Poor Sonny." Elizabeth glanced across the table. "Or not, as the case may be. I mean he has you now, right?"

Carly ignored Elizabeth's implication and continued on. "I should have stayed. God knows what she said to him. Or tried to do."

"I don't think you need to worry about that, Carly. Sonny can take care of himself."

Carly sighed. "I know." She shyly smiled at Elizabeth. "Listen, Elizabeth..."

"Don't mention it."

They smiled at one another, feeling a kinship between them now. Whatever it was that was happening, they both were glad for it. Elizabeth broke the comfortable silence. "I should start getting things set-up. We should have been opened a while ago."

"Can I help?" Carly was as shocked as Elizabeth at her offer. "I mean I'm the reason you're late."

"Well, sure. Penny didn't have time to throw out last night's garbage. Do you mind doing that while I open up and get ready for the rush that's coming?"

"No problem." Carly walked into the kitchen, seeing the bags piled by the back door. This wouldn't be so bad. She glanced down at her outfit. What the hell had possessed her to be so nice all of a sudden? She sighed, telling herself it was the least she could do. Grabbing hold of the bags firmly but as far from her as she could, she jimmied the door opened. The alley was dark even this early in the day and she felt a shiver run down her spine.

It was only five feet to the trash bin. Carly moved quickly, uneasiness making her movement jerky. She fumbled with the bags as she threw them into the open bin. She wiped her hands and started to turn when a hand clamped firmly over her mouth.

"Don't scream or you're dead."

She felt the sharp edge of a knife at her throat. She bit into the hand that held her, pushing back hard.

"Elizabeth! Help!"

She felt more hands grab her from behind and pull her back. She struggled as a cloth was shoved over her mouth and nose. She tried to stop breathing, choking on the sickly sweet scent that permeated her nose and lungs. She felt her head begin to swim and realized she was being dragged now. Her shoves became weaker as her eyes began to droop.

She was shoved into a car and was held firmly down on the seat. Her vision was blurred but she could make out a shape across from her. Her last conscious thought was the realization she was going to die...


	20. Chapter 20

**If Only...**

_Chapter 20_

Elizabeth glanced up, stopping mid-wipe to smile widely at Francis, who stood almost shyly in the doorway to _Kelly's_. "Hello there." She had to admire how well he fit into his suit, a nice charcoal grey with matching striped tie. Sonny had some serious hunks working for him. She pushed the unwelcome image of Jason out of her mind.

"Hello Ms. Webber. Is Ms. Benson around?"

"Liz, please. She's out back throwing out the trash." Elizabeth laughed at Francis double take. "She owed me."

He nodded, not understanding but knowing better then to ask any explanation for Carly's actions. "Well. That's...interesting. Can you let her know I'm-" His sentence was cut off by the crash of what could only be garbage lids. Francis glanced worriedly behind Liz. "Um...does that happen when you take out the trash?"

Elizabeth started to laugh. "No…but I don't throw it in the bin with the force I'm sure Carly is-"

She was cut off by Carly's muffled scream, "Elizabeth, help!"

Francis broke into a run, gun already in his hand, shoving aside chairs as he ran to the back. He kicked the door open and watched as two men shoved Carly into a long black car. He aimed at them, pulling on the trigger, the blast of sound from the gun echoing in his ears. He felt Elizabeth behind him and yelled, "Get back inside now!"

"Watch out!" They fell to the floor as Elizabeth shoved from behind, pushing them out of the line of oncoming bullets. He felt a searing pain in his shoulder but ignored it, rolling Elizabeth beneath him, and making a mental note to NEVER tell Jason, he fired again at the car. He heard a loud groan and smiled, pushing himself to his feet. He grabbed Elizabeth's arm and pulled her to stand next to him. He heard the car that held Carly peel around the corner as he ran to where the guard he'd hit had fallen. Grabbing hold of his shirt, he shoved his gun against the guy's forehead. "Where are they taking her? Tell me!"

"Francis…your arm." He heard Elizabeth's voice but shook his head. That would have to wait. Looking the other man in the eye, he cocked his gun. "I'll only ask once more, where are they taking her?"

"I'd tell him." Elizabeth looked down at the man on the floor. "Frankie likes to shoot things."

The man shivered, his mind looking for a solution but finding none, he realized he was going to die unless he told them what they wanted to know. Who cared what happened to his employers? They left him there to die. "Airport….they're taking her to the airport." He held his hand over his bleeding stomach. "It's this small airport off Route 5 on the way to Pine Valley."

"What the hell is going on here?" Mike came running up, stopping as he saw the scene more clearly. "Jesus." He looked at Elizabeth in shock. "What happened?"

"Someone just kidnapped Carly." She shot the words at Mike but her eyes remained on Francis' bleeding arm. He shoved his gun into the waist of his pants and picking up the wounded man's discarded gun, he handed it to Mike. "You stay here with him until one of the other guards shows up. You got that Mike?"

Mike nodded. "Stay with him. I got it."

Francis moved slightly toward the street, stopping to stare at Sonny's father. "Mike. You need to do this. It's important."

"I promise I won't let him down."

Francis nodded and pointing at Elizabeth, he started toward the front of the building. "Get back inside and act normal. I'll let Sonny know." He grimaced as he pulled his cell phone out. Trying to open the car door and dial Johnny's number proved to be a problem.

"Give me those keys. Get into the car."

Elizabeth pulled open the car door, gesturing for him to get into the passenger's side, she climbed into the driver's seat. He stared at her, cell phone still in hand before speaking. "Didn't I tell you to stay inside?"

"Yes, you did. But you can't drive with that injured arm so I figured the least I could do after getting Carly kidnapped was to make sure her rescue team got to her in one piece." She shook her head when he started to argue. "We're wasting time, Francis. You can yell at me after we get her back. Get in."

* * *

Jason paced the penthouse, listening to Sonny's end of conversation with Benny.

"Well then we need to find a way to make sure we have enough guards to cover Carly and Michael 24/7…whatever it takes Benny." He hung up, turning to Jason. "Benny says he'll work on it until then I want you guarding her."

Jason nodded. "No problem there. I think that we-"

Sonny's phone rang and no less then a second later, Jason's followed. They stared at them and then each other. That wasn't a good sign. Sonny picked his up. "What?" He heard Jason speak into his own phone as well.

"Sir, we have an… issue."

Johnny's urgent tone stopped his heart cold. It was Carly. "What happened?"

"She's been taken, sir."

Sonny closed his eyes, faintly aware of Jason cursing into his own phone. "Where are you?" His mind wandered to the worst, picturing her hurt or… He shoved those thoughts aside. He had to get her back. That was all that mattered.

"On the way to where they're taking her. It's a small airstrip off Route 5 somewhere near Pine Valley." Johnny gave someone, who Sonny assumed was Francis, some directions, then quietly asked someone else a question. Sonny could make out the unmistakable sound of a female voice. "Johnny, who the hell is that?"

His bodyguard sighed and in an exasperated tone, muttered. "Ms. Weber, sir."

Sonny glanced at Jason, hearing his barked orders at Benny to get every man they had ready. "Why is Elizabeth with you?" Jason's eyes clashed with his and Sonny nodded to let him to know he'd heard correctly.

"She was there, sir. She saw the whole thing and wouldn't allow Francis to drive with an injured arm. When they picked me up, she wisely pointed out that it was a waste of time arguing with her which could be better spent getting to Carly. So…we had to bring her with us." There was a slight pause. "She wants to speak to you, sir." There was a scuffle; the sound of the phone handed from one person to the next, and then Elizabeth's soft voice came over the line.

"Sonny?"

"Hey. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm so sorry. Sonny. I don't know what happened."

"It's not your fault."

"We were getting along so well…oh, god. I should never have let her go out back alone."

"Elizabeth…we'll get her back." Sonny sounded confident even when his mind kept playing with him, telling him that it was too late, that she was dead and he'd never see her again. She shook away the thoughts, clearing his head. He had to keep it together if he was going to save Carly. And he was going to save her.

There was a pause before Elizabeth spoke again. "Listen, I don't want Jason to know I'm in this situation. He'll only get…stupid." When he didn't answer, she sighed and said "He already knows I take it."

"Standing right in front of me so I'd have to say he does."

"He won't understand I know that, but you do, don't you?" Elizabeth's message came through loud and clear to Sonny. She felt responsible for Carly's kidnapping. He knew exactly how she felt.

"Yeah, I understand. We'll meet you all there. Elizabeth, don't do anything rash. Please."

Hanging up, he grabbed his jacket before pulling a gun out of the desk and following a silent Jason out to elevator. His heart was beating faster then it ever had and his gut felt like it had seen twelve rounds in the ring. He swallowed hard, praying that he would get to Carly in time. He couldn't lose her. There was no way he could make it through that.

* * *

"Okay, so what's the plan?"

Johnny shook his head, staring intently at the plane on the runway. There appeared to be several, heavily armed guards around its perimeter and no actual way to get past them without a lot of bleeding. He glanced back at Elizabeth when she repeated the question. "Nothing we can do. We wait. Sonny and Jason will be here with backup any minute."

Francis held onto his arm, refusing to give in to the nausea that plagued him. He had to stay focused. He caught a movement and slouched down in his seat, motioning to Johnny as he did. They could make out someone at one of the windows.

"It's Carly." Elizabeth moved closer to her own window, seeing Carly's face peering out. "She looks so scared." The face disappeared suddenly and Elizabeth gasped. Someone had pulled Carly away. She glanced over at the two men in the front. "We can't just let her sit there."

"Elizabeth, there are about 20 men out there, with really big guns. Francis got shot already. I personally prefer to stay free of any holes that didn't come with me when I arrived on this earth. So we stay here and wait."

"So that's it, then? We don't do a damn thing to help her!"

"When the hell did you become Rambo, Elizabeth? You want to take on the whole squad of goons out there?"

"We have to do something before they take her away and we never see her again!"

"Look, the plane isn't even running so I think we have a few minutes. We wait." He hated waiting. He wanted to go in and get Carly just as badly as Elizabeth did but he knew there was nothing to be done. They would only get themselves killed. "It'll be fine."

The plane's engines started up at that moment and he caught Elizabeth looking his way, her eyebrow arched.

"Okay…that could be a problem…"

* * *

Jason gripped the dashboard, glancing nervously at Sonny, as the car swerved around a corner at a speed that wasn't anywhere near legal or safe. He watched Sonny carefully, unable to miss the stiffness of his jaw as he concentrated on the road. "Um…Sonny…we need to get to her in one piece, just remember that, okay?"

Sonny grunted in response, his foot pressing harder on the accelerator as a sign indicating the distance to the airstrip sped past them. "If they've done anything to her Jason, I swear…"

"I know." Jason's heart lurched at the thought of anything happening to Carly…or Elizabeth. He tamped down on the anger that rose every time he let his mind wander to that. He couldn't believe Elizabeth would put herself in this kind of danger. He knew Carly had a knack to attract this situation. Not that he blamed her because it wasn't her fault. Almost ever, anyway. But Elizabeth…she was supposed to be the calm, rational one. After they got Carly back, he was going to make sure to have a chat with Ms. Webber.

His eyes caught the faded sign pointing to the hidden access road that led to the airstrip. The car jerked toward the road, wheels squealing and they flew past the entrance sign. They were going to get her back he told himself. He just prayed that Sonny wouldn't kill them in the process…

* * *

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Johnny banged his hand against the steering wheel, his mind spinning with a million and one thoughts as the three in the small, dark car watched the last of the men start to board the plane. Sonny was going to kill them all.

Francis fought back the pain and darkness that surrounded him, keeping his eyes on the windows of the aircraft, hoping to catch another glimpse of Carly. He ignored the sticky, warm liquid that trailed down his arm and glanced at Johnny, feeling grateful he wasn't in his friend's position. Sonny wouldn't hurt him while he was possibly bleeding to death. Thank God for small favors. But Johnny might be a dead man.

Elizabeth's heart sped up as the few remaining men with guns began walking toward the small, depleted building that acted as the terminal. She glanced once more at the plane, knowing that if they didn't take action now, they'd lose Carly forever. She couldn't have that happen. She knew Jason would never forgive her if he lost his best friend because of her carelessness. And Sonny…she couldn't imagine what would happen to Sonny. "I should never have asked her to do that."

Her quiet words reached Johnny who glanced in the rearview mirror at the small, worried brunette. "There was nothing you could have done Elizabeth." She met his eyes in the reflection and shook her head, not wanting or deserving any comfort. Johnny spoke firmly. "They had her targeted. It wasn't your fault."

Glancing out the window, she muttered out loud. "We need to do something."

"She's right, Johnny." Francis said through gritting teeth. The pain was overwhelming but nothing mattered except for Carly. "We need a distraction to keep that plane from moving."

Johnny nodded, pausing when he realized what Francis had meant by that. He shook his head. "No way are you going out there in your condition, Frankie. Not happening."

"I'll be fine."

"If you mean dead by fine then I guess you would be, yes."

"Johnny…"

"No. It's not going to happen." He smirked at his colleague and friend. "This isn't the _Dirty Dozen,_ Francis. Nobody is going to sacrifice anything. Is that understood? We will all think up of a plan and execute it from the safety of this here vehicle." Johnny quirked an eyebrow, meeting his friend's eyes. "Besides, if something happens to you, Adam will kill me."

Francis agreed, attempting to smile though it looked more like a grimace. He felt relief wash over him. He wasn't quite ready to die just yet. They needed to get Carly back first. Then, Sonny would probably kill him once he'd healed. And Adam... Adam would follow him to the afterlife just to do him in again. Oh boy…something to look forward to…

"Alright, here's the plan. We start this car up and ride as close to that plane as we can. One of us will stay in the car. The safest would be you -"

Francis glanced at Johnny when stopped off mid-sentence. He looked whiter then usual as he stared at the back of the car. Francis turned his head, not noticing anything out the ordinary in the empty backseat. His eyes widened as he realized that was the problem. Empty backseat. Where there once was an Elizabeth, now there was nothing except a small paper with some numbers written on it.

Johnny picked it up, crushing it in his hand as he stared out the window. "Shit." He watched the small figure sneak onto the plane and he would have laughed at the fact that a girl, who wasn't Carly, could pull that off without getting caught. But all he wanted to do was get his hands on the girls' throat and choke the life out of it. "If she doesn't end up killed or Jason doesn't end up sending her to some sort of far off convent, I'm gonna make that girl suffer."

Two goons came running out, guns aimed at the plane, having seen Elizabeth board. Trained bodyguards reacted without thinking, and so they did. Pulling out their own weapons, Johnny and Francis tore out of the car, shooting at the dark figures running onto the field. One slumped to the floor, gun falling from his hand. From nowhere, there seemed to appear a small army of gun-toting bad guys. Johnny laughed internally at the thought. Usually they were the bad guys.

The sudden screech of tires distracted him and he glanced behind, relived to see Sonny and Jason come charging out a car, guns raised and firing. Three other cars came to a halt behind them and every door opened with the sound of ammunition echoing into the air. Sonny had brought his own army. Johnny grabbed Francis' arm and led him back to the car, forcing him inside before he got himself killed.

Without argument, Francis closed the car door and promptly fell into unconsciousness. Johnny turned toward the ensuing battle, he aimed and fired, dodging flying bullets as best he could. He felt one whiz past his ear and fell to the ground in defense. He crawled to where Sonny and Jason stood. "Sir!"

Sonny kept his eyes on the plane and once he saw a clear path, took off running in its direction, knowing his men would cover him until he reached the door. Before he was halfway across the field, the plane began to move and he screamed soundlessly, pushing harder against the wind that slowed him down. He had to get to her. He couldn't lose her. If that plane took off he knew he would never see her again.

The plane seemed to gain speed as Sonny ran, the distance between them growing and he screamed Carly's name. It raced down the small runway, reaching its speed quickly and taking off into the air.

Sonny fell to his knees, staring at the departing lights as the plane rose higher and higher.

"Goddamnit!"

He heard the echoes of shoes approaching and turned in time to see his men running toward him. Johnny reached him first and he grabbed at the man's jacket. "Why didn't you do something?!"

"Sir, that would have gotten her killed. You know that just as well as I do." Johnny responded calmly, pulling from his boss' grip. Jason stared into the sky as the sound of the departing plane faded.

He glanced at Sonny. "How the hell are we going to find her? We don't have a fucking clue where they're taking her?"

Sonny couldn't think about that. He would turn the world on its damn axis if he had to but he was going to get Carly back.

"Actually, I think there is a way to figure that out."

Two pair of eyes glared at Johnny and he cleared his throat, motioning to the now empty sky. "Elizabeth can help us."

Jason's eyes narrowed and Sonny stared at him in a mix of hope and confusion. "How? Did she hear them say something?"

"Not exactly."

"Then what exactly, Johnny?" Jason glanced towards the car, searching for any trace of Elizabeth inside. "Where is Elizabeth?" He glanced back at Johnny and watched in horror as the other man pointed to the sky.

"She hitched a ride…"


	21. Chapter 21

**

* * *

**

If Only...

_Chapter 21_

This had to be the dumbest thing she'd ever done. Elizabeth glanced cautiously around the corner, her eyes widening as she took in the plush room, furnished with a sofa, some lamps, a couple of soft chairs, and a desk decorated with a large gold telephone. "What the hell is this place?" she whispered to the empty room.

She moved soundlessly, praying that no one had actually seen her board the plane, knowing that was probably wishful thinking. The best chance she had was to keep them guessing and hide. Footsteps echoed into the quiet of the room and she glanced hurriedly, looking for a safe place to disappear. Her eyes fell on what looked like a small closet, and she jumped into the dark space with only a few seconds to spare.

"Let go of me, you dumb ape!"

Through the sliver of space, she watched as a huge, heavily armed guard shoved

Carly into the room and loomed over her with his hand on his weapon, ready to act. From the expression on Carly's face, Elizabeth couldn't entirely blame him. She recognized a deadly look when she saw one. Carly pulled her arm out of his grip while she glanced around, and Elizabeth admired the calculating way that Carly seemed to take in her surroundings. She was sure that some plan was already formulating.

"There isn't anyway to escape now that we've taken off, Ms. Benson." The deep voice came from the intercom, echoing in the room, and both women flinched in response.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Carly muttered, eyeing the emergency door shrewdly. There had to be some way off if the plane got into trouble. Those chutes that jumpers used were always on airplanes, hiding under seats or in some closet. She saw the door of what she imagined was some sort of closet. There had to be something in there.

All she needed was a moment to explore and she might be able to find something that would help her out. She turned on the block of muscle that had been carting her around since they'd grabbed her back at the diner. "Hey you, Kong, tell me something, um, where we going?"

He ignored her, simply staring across the room at nothing in particular, but she watched his hand tense when she began to close in on him. "Oh come on, buddy. I'm sure you ain't a bad guy. Just doing your job, and you know what? I get that. I got lots of friends like you, you know? They're great guys that have to follow orders and that's cool. I'm not saying you got to betray anyone. I'm just curious where ya'll are taking me is all."

She glanced at his face and cursed under her breath. This guy was good. Not even a flicker of interest other than the tension in his hand, which had to be reflex, and she had done her best sensuous parade around the room while she had been talking. What a waste of good moves. Sighing, she surveyed the room for a weapon to knock him out with. It was the only way she'd get a chance.

"Nathan wouldn't be able to help you with those questions, Ms. Benson. He knows nothing more than he has to. I think I could help, though." That same deep, eerie voice that had come over the intercom resounded in the room and she glanced behind her, surprised at finding an attractive, if extremely frightening looking, older man standing in the doorway that connected to the pilot's cabin.

Elizabeth couldn't see him from her viewpoint, but from the look on Carly's face, the man was as scary as his voice. She kept her eyes on Carly, ignoring the cramping in her legs. She needed to be ready for anything.

Carly raised an eyebrow, slowly putting a chair between her and this man. "Who the hell are you?"

"Joseph. But most people call me Joe. Your…" He paused, thinking of the appropriate connotation and smiled as he continued, "… friend, Mr. Corinthos, knew me as Scully." Her eyes widened and Scully masked his surprise, smiling as he sat on the large leather couch. "I take it you know who I am then?"

Elizabeth racked her brain, the name sounding familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on why. She kept her eyes on the back of his head, cursing the fact that she hadn't chosen the closet that gave her a better view, and switched her attention back to Carly. She knew that there would be some sort of signal letting her know what to do.

Carly nodded.

"I'm flattered."

"Don't be."

He grinned at her, taken by her. This one definitely wasn't like that model or the teacher he'd heard about. He understood why the Boss seemed interested in keeping her alive. This one had fire. She was special. "Well, maybe we should sit down and have a little chat, Ms. Benson. I'm sure you want to know what's going on."

Carly slowly moved from behind the chair and sat, keeping her eyes firmly on Scully. "I've got nowhere else to go." She crossed her legs, moving her hands up the arms of the chair, and smiled across at him, her eyes cold and angry. "I'm listening."

* * *

"I don't care what you have to do, Benny! I want every man we got on this!!" Sonny slammed down the phone, leaning over his desk, pushing away the thought that he was too late and Carly was gone. He closed his eyes, listening around him, as Jason and Johnny spoke to the other men.

"Did you check the log book?"

"Were there any witnesses from outside of Kelly's? Besides Elizabeth, you idiot…"

"Vic, tell me you got some good news, buddy."

The questions trailed off quickly, followed by demands or another question, and Sonny fought the urge to punch someone. He needed to keep his head straight if he wanted to ever find Carly. His heart clenched at the thought that he might never hear her voice…see her smile…touch her…

Sonny opened his eyes, glancing at Francis, who sat under a blanket on the couch, pale and sweating. He had insisted they come back to the penthouse, not wanting a hospital. Too many questions, he'd said. "Francis." Sonny moved closer, leaning over his friend and guard. "Frankie." He slapped Francis' face gently, watching as the man's eyes fluttered open.

"What…what's up, Boss?" The words choked out from dried lips and Sonny shook his head, knowing he had to take drastic measures.

"I'm taking you to the hospital, Frankie."

"No sir…they'll…ask…"

The door opened and Sonny saw Adam's eyes search the room, relief flooding his features when he caught sight of Francis. He held still at the door, however, waiting for instructions.

Sonny cut of Francis' priotest. "They're gonna ask questions anyway, Frankie. If it had just been Carly that went missing, then we would have been able to keep quiet at least for a little while. But Elizabeth's gone, too… They'll notice."

"Sir, don't…it…there's no time…"

Johnny joined them, a cool towel in one hand and water in the other. Placing the towel on Francis' head, he nodded in agreement with Sonny. "He's right, Frankie. We got to go to the cops." Johnny made a face at that and Francis struggled to let out a laugh. "Besides, man, this will totally help you score, you know? Who doesn't like to take care of a wounded hero?"

Francis eyes seemed to wander to the door and he nodded weakly. "Yeah."

Jason glared at them from behind the couch. "So, the cops it is, then."

Sonny noted Jason's disapproval. "We have no other choice, Jase." The other man nodded, knowing it was the truth but refusing to voice it.

"Are we going to go down there…I mean, how are we supposed to do this, Sonny. We just gonna tell the whole force?"

Sonny rubbed his forehead. "Not all of them. There's one that will help us." He went to the phone, dialing a number quickly. "Hey, I need you to get a hold of Mac Scorpio for me. Yeah, the commissioner, you heard right. Come by my house as soon as you can." He hung up and turned back to the other two. "I want you both out there looking for leads. I'll take care of this here first." He stopped Jason on the way out. "We have to find her, Jason. I can't…I need her, man."

Jason nodded, completely understanding Sonny's desperation. He wanted to find Carly; she and Sonny were the closest he had to family. But he needed to find Elizabeth. Anytime he allowed himself to think that he would never see her… "We will. We'll find them both."

Sonny closed the door behind them, glancing at Francis again, and picked up the phone. "Hey. I need your help."

* * *

"So, I guess this is all about getting back at Sonny… you know, for "killing" you." Carly used air quotes as she spoke, glaring at Scully. He scared her out of her mind but there was no way she was going to let him know that. She needed to find out what he had planned for Sonny. She'd worry about escaping later.

His smile was slow and even, sending shivers of fear down her back. The guy was good at scaring the crap out of people. "What makes you think that this has anything to do with Corinthos?"

Elizabeth kneeled closer to the slit, seeing a flicker of confusion pass over Carly's face. She forced her breathing to quiet down, straining to hear what Scully or whatever his name was had said.

"I'm not an idiot by any means, Mr. –is it really Scully?" He nodded and she shook her head and continued. "Okay, if we have to be in each other's company, let's get a few things straight. I get that you're one scary dude and I should be more than cautious." Scully smiled in reply and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Believe me when I say, I'm more than aware of how dangerous you are. You, in turn, need to realize I'm neither helpless like Lily nor oblivious like Brenda."

Her eyes flickered past the closet, catching a movement inside, and her heart leapt into her throat. She played it off, not leaving her eyes on the closet for more than a split second. "Or oblivious like she pretended to be, anyway."

"I can see that, Ms. Benson."

"Good. Then no bullshitting… Why are you after Sonny?"

Scully shook his head, admiring this woman before him. If she wasn't the person she was and as young as his own daughter…

Elizabeth gently shook her foot awake and, ignoring the cramping in her legs, she rolled her neck to loosen the stiffness. She needed to get out of this damn closet. She leaned further back, resting on the wall, while she kept her eye on what she could see of Carly through the slit. Sulky or whatever his name was scaring the hell out of Carly as far as Elizabeth could tell. That wasn't a good sign.

Carly caught a quick glimpse of the same movement in the closet and her heart stopped. She was pretty sure she knew who was in there, and she couldn't decide if she would kill the girl or hug her when she got a chance. "Why are you staring at me? I think it's a good question, Mr. Scully."

Scully stared at her for a long second, then, motioning to Nathan, stood up to tower over her. "What makes you that Sonny is the one we want?" The taste of fear filled her throat and Carly shook her head, unwilling to comprehend.

"I…what…you want me?"

Scully smiled, cocking his head to the side. "You catch on quick, Caroline. Bring her into the backroom, Nat."

Carly considered struggling before realizing that if they left the room that would give Elizabeth…at least she hoped it was Elizabeth…the time to get out or form a plan. Her gaze flicked to the closet and she shook her head slightly, enough to make sure that whoever was in there, stayed there.

Carly adopted her best poker face and smiled up at Nat. "Yeah, big guy. Take me to the backroom." Her voice was tinged with bitterness as she glared at Scully. "I just love a little torture, don't you know."

Scully laugh faded as they moved further back into the plane. Elizabeth leaned her head on the wall, attempting to get her heart under control. She had to do something quickly. She heard some more movement and noted two men making their way from where they had taken Carly to the pilot's cabin.

"Man. That one was is gonna be tough to handle."

There was a stifled laugh. "Did you see poor Nat's face?"

"The sooner we get to Caracas, the better…"

The voices faded as quickly as they had come and Elizabeth let out the breath she'd been holding. Caracas. Venezuela. They were taking Carly to South America, but for what? She had what she needed, and now all she had to do was find a way to let Sonny know. She glanced at her surroundings, rolling her eyes, and snorted. That wouldn't be too hard to do for Rambo…

* * *

"Okay, Corinthos. There better be a damn good reason I got woken up from my drunken slumber and had to deal with this hangover, man. 'Cause if there isn't, I'm gonna have to kill you, pal." Luke stumbled into the penthouse, sunglasses on his eyes and a paper bag in his hand. "Wait…where's the kitchen?"

Sonny pointed in its direction and watched while Luke went in, hearing the clash of glasses, pots falling, and Luke's audible cursing, and watched as the older man came back out with an egg yolk in a glass. He took out a small bottle from the paper bag, poured it into the bag, and gulped it back in one swallow. He grimaced then, shuddering as the acrid liquid went down, and finally turned to Sonny. "Okay. What was the big deal? And, Corinthos, this had better be worth it, for your sake."

"Carly's been kidnapped."

There was a long beat while the two men, once the closest of friends, stared at one another. Luke shook his head. "I'm sorry. I thought you just said that Carly, my sister's only daughter, has been kidnapped." He slowly placed the glass on the table, his eyes focusing on Sonny. "I'm sure I heard that wrong."

"You didn't. She's gone, Luke."

Sonny felt the punch long before he saw it coming. He held his jaw, shaking his head to clear away the stars, before straightening and facing Luke. "Feel better?"

Luke nodded. "Yeah. A little." He rubbed his newly shaved head and laughed mirthlessly. "Shit. Barbara is going to lose it. Damn it, Sonny." Luke saw the pain in Sonny's eyes, the stress evident in his face, and sighed. "How you doing?"

Sonny shook his head. "I can't lose her, Luke. I…just can't." He shrugged at Luke's knowing glare. "I love her, man. She makes me…better." He watched his former partner and friend hesitate, then nod.

"Yeah. I know how that goes." Luke took off his jacket. "Okay, what's the plan?"

"Jason is down at the PCPD…"

"Whoa!" Luke held a hand up. "Cops? You called the cops. Corinthos, that's insane!"

"They got Elizabeth too, Luke. I can't hide that. We're trying to get a deal going with Mac. I sent Jason down there to get him and Justus is on his way."

Sonny's cell phone rang from the desk and he ran to it, picking it up as he did. "Hello?"

There was only static and Sonny met Luke's eyes. "Hello?"

"Sonny."

The voice was so low and soft, barely audible through the crackling line, that he thought he was imagining it. He paused and heard his name again. "Sonny?"

"Elizabeth?"

"Oh th…god. I don't…ow what I…one if this wasn't…umber."

Sonny could barely make out her words but he knew it was her. Before he could respond, Jason burst in the door with an angry-looking Mac on his heels. They both halted at Sonny and Luke's furious glances and agitated hand signals.

"Elizabeth, are you okay? I can barely make you out." There was silence for a moment, and then the static died down and he could make out some shuffling.

"Is this better? I moved some…the signal seemed stronger on this end."

"Elizabeth…is Carly okay? Are you hurt?"

"Let's see. I'm stuck in the utility closet on some scary mob guy's airplane, which is right now heading into South America, while they hold Carly hostage on some other part of this unbelievably huge plane where I can't see her. I'm peachy." She rubbed her face with her free hand, refusing to give in to tears. She was the only chance Carly might have. "Yeah, no. I'm not doing too good here, Sonny." She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and remembering who she was talking to. This wasn't Sonny fault. She was the dumbass who'd gotten on the plane instead of letting Johnny handle it. "Sonny. I'm sorry. I'm just really scared right now."

She heard his soft sigh and felt horrible for having made him feel worse than he probably already did. "I'm sorry. I know this can't be easy for you."

"It's okay, Liz. I understand. Is…I mean…are you…did they do anything?" He knew the broken sentences weren't helpful, but he could barely think of the horrible things they could be doing to Carly, let alone say them.

Elizabeth sensed his fear and quickly reassured him. "Carly is fine." There was a touch of humor in her quivering voice. "She's given them a run for their money. I don't think they were prepared for her."

A whisper of a smile crossed Sonny's face and he saw Luke, Mac, and Jason relax slightly. "They're okay for the moment." He turned his attention back to the phone. "Elizabeth, do you have any idea where you're going?"

"Venezuela. Caracas, I think."

"Are you sure?"

"I heard two goons talking about it while I was hiding in the main cabin. Whoever is behind this is taking us there…some small ranch way in the forest. That's all I got." There was a thud and Sonny heard her curse softly.

Sonny met Jason's eyes. "What happened?" He listened to her soft muttering and was near panic when she finally responded. "Some stupid cleaning thing fell on my head. It doesn't matter. I don't know what to do now, Sonny. They took Carly into another room where I can't keep an eye on her to make sure they don't hurt her. Or, hell, the other way around."

Sonny motioned to Luke as he talked to Elizabeth. "Was there anything about the men that seemed memorable? Did you get a good look at any of them?" He took the pad and pen that Luke handed him, writing down notes to Mac as he spoke. His heart seemed to be at double time and his hand seemed to be keeping the beat. "A name? Anything?"

Elizabeth sighed. "I'm sorry, Sonny. I couldn't see anyone in this damn closet. Hold on." She stopped as she heard what she thought were footsteps, calming her breathing and listening intently. Silence. She waited another beat before speaking again. "I did get a name, though. I think I even heard it before."

Jason paced in front of Sonny, resisting the urge to grab the phone away from his friend. He was too angry and scared to make any sense right now, but he needed to hear her voice…

Sonny sensed Jason's thoughts and shook his head. "What's the name?"

"James…hold on…no…what the hell was I…shitshitshitshit…Joe…yeah! Joseph."

Sonny wrote down "Joseph" on the pad, tilting it so Mac, who was now at his side, could read it. "Is that it?"

"No, he said his last name. S…something…Scu….no…wait…I think it was Skull, maybe. Does that mean anything?" There was a long pause and Elizabeth feared she had lost her connection. "Sonny?"

The three men in the penthouse watched as Sonny's face drained of color. His voice shaking, he asked quietly, "Scully. Was it Joseph Scully?" Luke's eyes bulged and Mac threw his hands up in the air. Only Jason remained for the most part unaffected by Sonny's statement.

"Yes. That was it. Scully." Elizabeth shuddered at the name. "He scares the hell out of me, Sonny." She heard Sonny's curses and grimaced at the fear that laced his words.

"Elizabeth, I'm handing you over to Jason for a moment. You hang in there. We're going to get you both out of this."

"All right. I'll hang." There was a shuffle and she heard quiet breathing. She smiled despite her fear, sensing his worry over the line. "Hi, Jason."

"Hey. You okay?"

"I'm hanging." She knew he wanted to say a thousand things he couldn't get past his mouth, and she closed her eyes, her heart pounding in her ears. "It's nice to hear your voice. I thought I'd never…"

"Me too. I-- are you sure you're okay? "

Man of few words as always…"I'm fine. Listen, I need to tell you something." She felt the presence on the other side before they opened the door and spit the words out before it was too late. "Tell Sonny this wasn't about him. It's Carly they want." She paused as the door creaked open. "This is so not the right time but just in case…I love you, Jason."

There was a scuffle and Jason yelled at Sonny. "They found her! Elizabeth! Elizabeth!"

"Let GO!! Let me GO!! No!! Stop! Where…stop it!!" Elizabeth screamed his name. "JASON!"

The line went dead…


	22. Chapter 22

**

* * *

**

If Only…

_Chapter 22_

It never failed to amaze Carly the kind of trouble she could get in. It shouldn't have been any kind of surprise at this point in her life…but somehow it always was. She tapped her fingers angrily on the arm of the chair, glancing around the room, trying once more to wrap her mind at Scully's earlier comment.

"_What makes you sure that Sonny is the one we want?" _

That made her more nervous then when she was sure that this **was** all about Sonny. She had no clue what anyone like Joseph Scully would want with her. It had been years since she'd dealt with anybody from Florida or the random, useless jobs she'd had when she'd left home. Though she had encountered a number of shady types….she knew none of them could be looking for her.

Growling, she got to her feet, pacing the small section of the plane she'd been confined to. Scully and Kong had deposited her there with nothing more then a quick "We'll be there soon. Don't try anything" then locked the door, leaving her alone. The door loomed there and she pressed her ear against it, trying to determine if they had a guard outside. She bent, jiggling the handle, studying it for weaknesses. If she picked it open, she could run down to where she was sure Elizabeth was hiding. She stared at the lock for a long moment, then shook her head. Too risky. If they caught her, she might give away Elizabeth and she already felt bad enough that the girl had gotten dragged into this mess.

"What the hell is she doing here anyway?" Had they gone back and grabbed her too? She put one of her hands to her forehead, ignoring how it shook and prayed they hadn't hurt anyone. Maybe they had gone back to kill Frankie and were using Elizabeth as a contingency plan? That made no sense. She wouldn't have been hiding. They would have known about her. She was sure they had no clue that Elizabeth was onboard the plane.

The door opened and Kong pushed an angry Elizabeth into the room.

Well, so much for that theory.

"Hey!"

Carly caught the other girl when she tripped and glared at Kong, snapping as she steadied Elizabeth. "Did your Mama teach you those manners?" He closed the door loudly, and Carly looked over at the girl standing next to her. The first words out of her mouth surprised her. "What the hell were you thinking?!"

Elizabeth paused in straightening her clothes and raised an eyebrow, something tugging at her lips. Was she going to laugh? "You sound like Sonny."

Carly opened her mouth to argue but… "Oh jesus. I do." She shoved one hand through her hair, taking a deep breath. "Sorry about that." More calmly, she asked, again. "Elizabeth. Why are you here?"

Elizabeth looked slightly abashed and raised her arms in emphasis as she said, "I'm your rescue team."

Carly blinked.

Elizabeth shrugged. "Okay, so maybe not." She buried her face in her hands, releasing a growl. "I was trying to help. If you hadn't gone out there to throw away -- they wouldn't have gotten you."

Carly rolled her eyes. "Oh my god. Elizabeth, please. Do not even go there. They had me targeted. They would have gotten me regardless."

"That's what Johnny said. I know."

"You saw Johnny? When? Where?" Suddenly remembering how she had gotten there, she grabbed Elizabeth's arm. "Is Frankie okay?" Carly couldn't bear it if her friend had been…

Elizabeth squeezed her hand. "It's okay. He's…hurt. But I think he'll be okay."

Carly breathed a little easier and then restated her question. "What the hell are you doing here, Liz?"

"I jumped on board so that we wouldn't lose you." Elizabeth waved away the incredulous look Carly gave her. "It seemed like a good idea at the time. I snuck on board and called Sonny when I knew where we were headed. What?"

Carly was staring at her in…Elizabeth wasn't quite sure what the look was. She'd never seen Carly look like that.

"You risked your life to help me?"

Elizabeth ducked her head. "Okay, don't make me out to be a hero. I mean, I just, you know, acted first and thought after. I just didn't -- Jason loves you, Carly. So does Sonny. And they're my friends…I felt…look, it doesn't matter why I did it. We're here now."

Carly hid a smile. Lizzie wasn't as useless as she'd once thought. She might even be likable. "You just trying to make me like you, aren't you, Lizzie?"

Elizabeth met her gaze and gave her a smirk. "Wouldn't dream of it." She glanced around the room then back at Carly, eyes excited. "Okay, so what's the plan?"

Carly fiddled with the door handle, kneeling to get a better look at what she was working with. "What makes you think I have a plan?"

Elizabeth snorted and crossed her arms. "You telling me you don't?"

Carly shook her head. "No. But…"

"What?"

"My plans don't usually work."

Elizabeth made a face. "You told Sonny that your plans are brilliant."

"Well, yes. But he had a point," Carly turned her head as she spoke, "my execution sucks."

"I don't think we have time to worry about that now. So, what's the plan?"

Carly stood up, hands on her hips as she met Elizabeth's hopeful stare. "We wait."

The light seemed to dim slightly from the younger girl's eyes. "We wait? But…I don't…"

Carly placed a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder, steering her toward one of the chairs. "If I thought that we could safely get off this plane, I'd be the first one looking for the parachutes. But we're over water so doing that would be stupid. We can't overtake the plane cause even if we weren't outnumbered, we'd have to be able to fly the damn thing to get back home."

Elizabeth's eyes widened. "You really thought this true, haven't you?"

Carly shrugged. "Pretty much. Look, once we get to land, then we'll figure out a way to ditch these morons and get back to the States, okay? Until then we play it cool." Carly patted Elizabeth's shoulder before moving to look out the window. "Besides, Sonny knows where we're going. He'll find us."

Elizabeth remembered the worry in Sonny's voice. "Yes. He'll do whatever it takes to find you, Carly."

Carly smiled slightly. "I know."

* * *

"Benny, I don't care…I don't care if they don't like it. They're headed to Venezuela and I'm going there find them." Sonny slammed the phone down, turning to glare at Jason. "Why does he argue with me?"

Jason shook his head. He wondered that himself on a daily basis.

"He's just looking out for you, Boss." Johnny answered, double-checking his weapon as he did. He could feel the commissioner's eyes on him but he ignored how wrong it felt to be working with him. This was about rescuing Carly and Elizabeth. And for all that he wanted Mr. Corinthos in jail, Scorpio was a straight shooter. Saving two lives would always be more important.

Mac stepped up to them, two files in his hands. "Here's everything the WSB had on the whereabouts of Joe Scully." He handed them to Luke, who turned one folder over to Sonny while he looked through the other.

Sonny shook his head. "Why the hell didn't anyone tell us he was alive?"

Luke snorted. "You're a part of…"

"I am a coffee importer, Luke."

Mac rolled his eyes. "Right. They never even told me about it. I just followed a hunch and called in a few favors and viola. Every move that Scully has made since we thought he'd been killed all those years ago."

Sonny read through some papers. "His power is growing. Why didn't he come for me sooner?"

"Maybe he felt he needed you as vulnerable as possible?" Luke guessed, frowning down at the paper in his hands. "It looks like he doesn't work alone though."

Mac nodded. "He's still working for a family. Always the smartest way. He has the most powerful position next to the actual head of the mob, which in this case is just that, a talking head, but if it goes bad, he can still get away without too much trouble."

Sonny nodded. "He was always looking ahead."

Luke snapped the folder shut and turned to Sonny. "So, what are we doing here, Corinthos?"

Sonny glanced at Mac, who gave him a slight nod, and he met Luke's eyes. "We're headed to Caracas. You coming?"

Luke raised an eyebrow. "You know, I have been meaning to work on my tan."

* * *

"Jesus." Elizabeth whispered, her eyes following the line of the driveway that curved and led to the huge house sitting in the middle of the empty field. She glanced at Carly. "How the hell are they going to find us?"

Carly shook her head slightly, glancing at Kong in the front seat. "I don't know. But they won't have to. We'll find them." Her eyes surveyed the grounds. For at least a mile in each direction all one could see was fields of grass, some scattered trees…Her eyes fell on the cover of the forest that surrounded the perimeter. If they could make it to the woods, they could get out. She'd been keeping track and she knew the closest town was only about thirty miles or so north.

They could do this.

The car came to a halt and when the door opened, she gave Elizabeth a reassuring nod and followed her out of the car. The light was bright and for a moment she was blinded. It has been a couple of days since they'd seen the outside. Straight from the airplane to what Carly assumed was a safe house and they'd been locked in a dark room. She and Elizabeth had bided their time, agreeing that reaching their final destination would give them more of an advantage.

So they'd co-operated and…here they were.

They followed Kong to the door and he paused, letting them go first. Elizabeth looked surprised but said nothing. Carly smirked at him. "Good manners, Kong? I wasn't expecting that. Your Mama would be proud." Carly saw the color rise in his cheeks and she took note. It might be useful for later.

She scanned the large, airy entryway, registering the expensive furniture and knickknacks that filled the space in each room. The taste was elegant but not overbearing. There were guards in every room they passed. This wouldn't be easy at all.

They climbed the stairs, pausing on the second landing to wait until Kong had spoken quietly to an older woman, who glanced at them with compassion in her eyes. She pointed in a direction and then proceeded down the opposite way. Carly watched her go, wondering who she was and knowing that she had to find out.

They stopped in front of a double door and Kong opened it to reveal an enormous room with a canopy bed of wood on one end. The rest of the room was filled with a small sitting area, what looked like a reading nook, and another set of doors. He motioned for them to step inside and closing the door behind them, he gestured at the room.

Elizabeth took that as a sign they were to explore. She moved to the bed, staring at the luxurious bedding and turned to Carly with a confused look. Carly returned it with one of her own. This made no sense.

"Kong…are you sure this is our room?"

"Si, senorita."

Carly stared at Kong -- wait, his name started with an N - what the hell was it? "Um…okay. Jesus, my Spanish isn't the best. Um…esta seguro?"

"Si." He reached for the second set of doors and opened to reveal an opulent bathroom with a claw-footed bathtub lined up to one wall, what looked like a whirlpool in the middle, a stand up shower and a double sink. "For you. Please."

Elizabeth's mouth quirked up a bit. "I think he's trying to tell you something, Carly."

Carly stuck her tongue out at her. "Shut up, smartass." She nodded at - Nathan! That was it! "Thank you, Nathan." She motioned at their clothes. Maybe they could borrow some from the staff. It was too early to try for an escape. It would be better if they rested, had some food, a shower…

He nodded in understanding and pointed to a door she had missed when they'd walked in. Opening it, she and Elizabeth's mouth dropped open at the walk in closet filled with every type of cloth imaginable. "Holy…"

"Para las dos."

Elizabeth looked at Carly. "What?"

She shook her head to clear it. "He said it's for both of us." She didn't understand any of this. "What the hell is going on?"

Nathan bowed quickly as he left the room and Carly heard the sound of it being locked but her mind was still reeling from all this. "I don't get it."

Elizabeth held her hands out. "I've never done this before but I'm thinking this isn't how hostages are usually treated."

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure this isn't normal procedure."

There was a knock on the door and the two women glanced at each other, turning in unison to stare as Scully entered the room. "Ladies. I hope these accommodations meet with your approval. We made sure to make them as comfortable as possible. I also went ahead and had the staff prepare you dinner."

Carly quirked an eyebrow. "What's the catch, Joey?" She saw the smallest tick in his jaw at her tone and waited to see what he would do next. She was pushing him but there was more to all this.

"Nothing, of course. When you've cleaned up, just dial seven on the phone and it will get you to the kitchen. They will bring up the food. I will be back for you, Caroline, then."

Carly's eyes widened. "Why?"

Scully locked eyes with her. "So, that you can meet your host."

She took a step forward. "I want to meet him now."

Elizabeth stared at her, tugging on her sleeve gently. "Carly, is that such a good idea?"

"The sooner I know who I'm dealing with the better." She responded quietly and saw Elizabeth nod her head, moving to her side.

Scully narrowed his eyes at them, shaking his head and pointing at Elizabeth. "You stay."

"What?" Elizabeth shook her head. "No fucking way I'm letting Carly out of my sight." There was no way she would let them get separated. God only knew what they would do to Carly.

"Carly is the only one that he wants to see. He cares only about her."

Elizabeth sighed, and held onto Carly's stare. Scully watched some silent communication pass between the two women. After a long moment, Elizabeth backed up a step. "Fine."

Scully nodded. "Good. Take the opportunity to get cleaned up, Ms. Webber. Rest. I promise nothing will happen to Caroline here."

Elizabeth met his eyes. "I would hope not, for your sake." She nodded at Carly, who reached out to grasp her hand for a moment before heading to the door. She glanced back at Elizabeth.

"I'll be fine."

Elizabeth nodded and when the door closed, she sat with a sigh on the bed. She hoped that was true.

* * *

Carly walked silently, following Scully down two flights of stairs, ignoring the looks from the guards and servants they passed. Everyone seemed to be staring at her, making conversation in whispers and Carly wondered again what the hell was so special about her.

They reached an oak door and Scully knocked. Carly heard a muffled, "Come in." and she was escorted inside. Her eyes roamed over the large bookcases and fell to the large, oak desk in the center. The back of the chair faced her and she straightened up when Scully spoke.

"Sir, Caroline wanted to see you immediately."

Carly threw Scully a glare. Few people called her that and she wasn't comfortable with having him use her name. The chair swiveled around and Carly sucked in a gasp.

"Daddy?"

Frank Benson smiled up at his daughter. "Caroline. I'm so glad to see you."


End file.
